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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,   SAN  DIEGO 


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HECTOR   SERVADAC 


The  Crisis  of  Peril  was  close  at  hand. 


Hector  Servadac 


BY 


JULES    VERNE 


o-  ^y^-^^^-  ■ 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW    YORK 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1906 


CONTENTS 


PART  I 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    A  Challenge i 

II.  The  Antecedents  of  Captain  Servadac  and 

HIS  Orderly,  Ben  Zoof 7 

III,  Interrupted  Effusions 12 

IV.  A  Convulsion  of  Nature 16 

V.    A  Mysterious  Sea 18 

VI.  The  Captain  makes  an  Exploration       .       .  29 

VII.  Ben  Zoof  Watches  in  Vain        .       .       .       .  ;^8 

■    VIII.  Venus  in  Perilous  Proximity     ....  47 

IX.    Inquiries  Unsatisfied 55 

X.    A  Search  for  Algeria 62 

XI.    An  Island  Tomb 70 

XII.  At  the  Mercy  of  the  Winds     ....  78 

XIII.  A  Royal  Salute 87 

XIV.  Sensitive  Nationality 96 

XV.    An  Enigma  from  the  Sea 105 

XVI.  The  Residuum  of  a  Continent  .       .       .       .114 

XVII.    A  Second  Enigma .121 

XVIII.  An  Unexpected  Population        .       .       .       .131 

XIX.  Gallia's  Governour- General     ....  142 

XX.    A  Light  on  the  Horizon 150 

XXI.    Winter  Quarters 159 

XXII.    A  Frozen  Ocean 168 

XXIII.  A  Carrier-Pigeon 175 

XXIV.  A  Sledge-Ride 182 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


PART   II 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Astronomer 195 

II.  A  Revelation 203 

III.  Comets,  Old  and  New 211 

IV.  The  Professor's  Experiences     .       .       .       .223 
V.  A  Revised  Calendar 234 

VI.  Wanted:  A  Steelyard 245 

VII.  Money  at  a  Premium 252 

VIII.  Gallia  Weighed 260 

IX.  Jupiter  Somewhat  Close 269 

X.  Market  Prices  in  Gallia 278 

XI.  Far  into  Space         ,..-....  285 

XII.  A  Fete  Day 294 

XIII.  The  Bowels  of  the  Comet 303 

XIV.  Dreary  Months 312 

XV.  The  Professor  Perplexed 320 

XVI.  A  Journey  and  a  Disappointment    .       .       -329 

XVII.  A  Bold  Proposition 340 

XVIII.  The  Venture  made 351 

XIX.  Suspense 360 

XX.  Back  Again 366 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  crisis  of  peril  was  close  at  hand      .       .       .     Frontispiece 


FACING 
PAGE 


In  his  ascent  he  passed  Ben  Zoof,  who  had  aheady  commenced 

his  downward  course 24 

"Before  we  speak  one  other  word,  tell  me  what  has  happened  "     56 

The  Dohryna  dashed  in  between  its  perpendicular  walls       .     80 

Everybody  hurried  to  the  forecasfle no 

A  sharp  turn  brought  them  into  a  sudden  flood  of  light  .        .160 

She  was  being  attacked  by  half  a  dozen  great  sea-gulls  .       .180 

The  solitary  occupant  of  the  only  fragment  that  survived  of 

the  Balearic  Archipelago 228 

"Here  we  have  the  measure  of  a  metre  exactly"        .       .  260 

Sometimes  they  would  appear  as  an  illuminated  arch,  with  the 

shadow  of  Saturn  passing  over  it 290 

Nine  hundred  feet  below  ground 316 

"Major  Oliphant,  I  believe?"   .......  336 


PART    I 


HECTOR    SERVADAC. 


-••»■ 


CHAPTER    I. 

A  CHALLENGE. 

**  Nothing,  sir,  can  induce  me  to  surrender  my  claim." 

"I  am  sorry  for  it,  count,  but  in  such  a  matter  your 
views  cannot  modify  mine." 

"  But  allow  me  to  point  out  that  my  seniority  un- 
questionably gives  me  a  prior  right." 

"  Mere  seniority,  I  assert,  in  an  affair  of  this  kind,  can- 
not possibly  entitle  you  to  any  prior  claim  whatever." 

"  Then,  captain,  no  alternative  is  left  but  for  me  to 
compel  you  to  yield  at  the  sword's  point." 

"  That's  as  you  please,  count  ;  but  neither  sword  nor 
pistol  can  ever  force  me  to  forego  my  pretensions.  Here  is 
my  card." 

"  And  mine." 

This  rapid  altercation  was  thus  brought  to  an  end  by 
the  formal  interchange  of  the  names  of  the  disputants 
On  one  of  the  cards  was  inscribed — 

Captain  Hector  Servadac, 

Staff  Officer^ 

Mostaganem, 


HECTOR   SERVADAa 


On  the  otlier  was  the  title — 

Count   Wassili  Timascheff, 

On  board  the  Schooner  "Dobrynal' 

It  did  not  take  long  to  arrange  that  seconds  should  be 
appointed,  v/ho  would  meet  in  Mostaganem  at  two  o'clock 
that  day ;  and  the  captain  and  the  count  were  on  the 
point  of  parting  from  each  other,  with  a  salute  of  punc- 
tilious courtesy,  when  Timascheff,  as  if  struck  by  a  sudden 
thought,  said  abruptly — 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  better,  captain,  not  to  allow  the 
real  cause  of  this  to  transpire  ? " 

"  Far  better,"  replied  Servadac  ;  "  it  is  undesirable  in 
every  way  for  any  names  to  be  mentioned." 

"  In  that  case,  however,"  continued  the  count,  "  it  will 
De  necessary  to  assign  an  ostensible  pretext  of  some  kind. 
Shall  we  allege  a  musical  dispute  ?  a  contention  in  which 
■I  feel  bound  to  defend  Wagner,  while  you  are  the  zealous 
'vhampion  of  Rossini  ?  " 

"I  am  quite  content,"  answered  Servadac,  with  a  smile; 
and  with  another  low  bow  they  parted. 

The  scene,  as  here  depicted,  took  place  upon  the 
extremity  of  a  little  cape  on  the  Algerian  coast,  between 
Mostaganem  and  Tenes,  about  two  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Shelif.  The  headland  rose  more  than  sixty  feet 
above  the  sea-level,  and  the  azure  waters  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, as  they  softly  kissed  the  strand,  were  tinged  with 
the  reddish  hue  of  the  ferriferous  rocks  that  formed  its 
base.  It  was  the  31st  of  December.  The  noontide  sun, 
which  usually  illuminated  the  various  projections  of  the 
coast  with  a  dazzling  brightness,  was  hidden  by  a  dense 
mass  of  cloud,  and  the  fog  which,  from  some  unaccount- 
able cause,  had  hung  for  the  last  two  months  over  nearly 
every  region  in  the  world,  causing  serious  interruption  to 
traffic  between  continent  and  continent,  spread  its  dreary 
veil  across  land  and  sea. 

After  taking  leave  of  the  stafF-ofificer,  Count  Wassili 
Timascheff  wended  his  way  down  to  a  small  creek,  and 


A   CHALLENGE.  3 


took  his  seat  in  the  stern  of  a  light  four-oar  that  had  been 
awaiting  his  return  ;  this  was  immediately  pushed  off  from 
shore,  and  was  soon  alongside  a  pleasure-yacht,  that  was 
lying  to,  not  many  cables'  length  away. 

At  a  sign  from  Servadac,  an  orderly,  who  had  been 
standing  at  a  respectful  distance,  led  forward  a  magnificent 
Arabian  horse ;  the  captain  vaulted  into  the  saddle,  and 
followed  by  his  attendant,  well  mounted  as  himself,  started 
off  towards  Mostaganem.  It  was  half-past  twelve  when 
the  two  riders  crossed  the  bridge  that  had  been  recently 
erected  over  the  Shelif,  and  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later 
their  steeds,  flecked  with  foam,  dashed  through  the  Mas- 
cara Gate,  which  was  one  of  five  entrances  opened  in 
the  embattled  wall  that  encircled  the  town. 

At  that  date,  Mostaganem  contained  about  fifteen 
thousand  inhabitants,  three  thousand  of  whom  were  French. 
Besides  being  one  of  the  principal  district  towns  of  the 
province  of  Oran,  it  was  also  a  military  station.  Valuable 
woven  fabrics,  morocco  leather  work,  articles  made  from 
the  esparto  (a  Spanish  rush),  and  numerous  nutritive  com- 
pounds were  amongst  its  manufactures,  whilst  grain,  cotton, 
wool,  figs,  and  grapes,  as  well  as  cattle,  were  exported 
thence  to  France.  All  traces  however  had  disappeared  of 
the  ancient  anchorage,  where,  in  past  years,  vessels  had 
been  unable  to  hold  their  own  during  the  westerly  and 
north-westerly  gales,  and  Mostaganem  now  rejoiced  in  a 
well-sheltered  harbour,  which  enabled  her  to  utilize  all  the 
rich  products  of  the  Mina  and  the  Lower  Shelif  It  was 
the  existence  of  so  good  a  harbour  amidst  the  exposed 
cliffs  of  this  coast  that  had  induced  the  owner  of  the 
Dobryiia  to  winter  in  these  parts,  and  for  two  months  the 
Russian  standard  had  been  seen  floating  from  her  yard, 
whilst  on  her  mast-head  was  hoisted  the  pennant  of  the 
French  Yacht  Club,  with  the  distinctive  letters  M.C.W.T., 
the  initials  of  Count  Timascheff. 

Having  entered  the  town,  Captain  Servadac  made  his 
way  towards  Matmore,  the  military  quarter,  and  was  not 
long  in  finding  two  friends  on  whom  he  might  rely — 2 


HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


major  of  the  2nd  Fusileers,  and  a  captain  of  the  8th 
Artillery.  The  two  officers  listened  gravely  enough  to 
Servadac's  request  that  they  would  act  as  his  seconds  in 
an  affair  of  honour,  but  could  not  resist  a  smile  on  hearing 
that  the  dispute  between  him  and  the  count  had  originated 
in  a  musical  discussion.  Surely,  they  suggested,  the  matter 
might  be  easily  arranged  ;  a  few  slight  concessions  on 
either  side,  and  all  might  be  amicably  adjusted.  But  no 
representations  on  their  part  were  of  any  avail.  Hector 
Servadac  was  inflexible. 

"  No  concession  is  possible,"  he  replied,  resolutely. 
"  Rossini  has  been  deeply  injured,  and  I  cannot  suffer  the 
injury  to  be  unavenged.  Wagner  is  a  fool.  I  shall  keep 
my  word.     1  am  quite  firm." 

"Be  it  so,  then,"  replied  one  of  the  ofKcers ;  "and  after 
all,  you  know,  a  sword-cut  need  not  be  a  very  serious 
affair." 

"  Certainly  not,"  rejoined  Servadac  ;  "  and  especially 
in  my  case,  when  I  have  not  the  slightest  intention  o) 
being  wounded  at  all." 

Incredulous  as  they  naturally  were  as  to  the  assigned 
cause  of  the  quarrel,  Servadac's  friends  had  no  alternative 
but  to  accept  his  explanation,  and  without  farther  parley 
they  started  for  the  staff  ofhce,  where,  at  two  o'clock  pre- 
cisely, they  were  to  meet  the  seconds  of  Count  Timascheff. 
Two  hours  later  they  had  returned.  All  the  preliminaries 
had  been  arranged ;  the  count,  who  like  many  Russians 
abroad  was  an  aide-de-camp  of  the  Czar,  had  of  course 
proposed  swords  as  the  most  appropriate  weapons,  and 
the  duel  was  to  take  place  on  the  following  morning,  the 
first  of  January,  at  nine  o'clock,  upon  the  cliff  at  a  spot 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  mouth  of  the  Shelif 
With  the  assurance  that  they  would  not  fail  to  keep  their 
appointment  with  military  punctuality,  the  two  officers 
cordially  wrung  their  friend's  hand  and  retired  to  the 
Zulma  Cafe  for  a  game  at  piquet.  Captain  Servadac  at 
once  retraced  his  steps  and  left  the  town. 

For  the  last  fortnight  Servadac  had  not  been  occupying 


A  CHALLENGE. 


his  proper  lodgings  in  the  military  quarters  ;  having  been 
appointed  to  make  a  local  levy,  he  had  been  living  in  a 
gourbi,  or  native  hut,  on  the  Mostaganem  coast,  between 
four  and  five  miles  from  the  Shelif.  His  orderly  was  his 
sole  companion,  and  by  any  other  man  than  the  captain 
the  enforced  exile  would  have  been  esteemed  little  short 
of  a  severe  penance. 

On  his  road  to  the  gourbi,  his  mental  occupation  was 
a  very  laborious  effort  to  put  together  what  he  was 
pleased  to  call  a  rondo,  upon  a  model  of  versification  all 
but  obsolete.  This  rondo,  it  is  unnecessary  to  conceal,  was 
to  be  an  ode  addressed  to  a  young  widow  by  whom  he 
had  been  captivated,  and  whom  he  was  anxious  to  marry, 
and  the  tenour  of  his  muse  was  intended  to  prove  that 
when  once  a  man  has  found  an  object  in  all  respects 
worthy  of  his  affections,  he  should  love  her  "  in  all  simpli- 
city." Whether  the  aphorism  were  universally  true  was 
not  very  material  to  the  gallant  captain,  whose  sole  ambi- 
tion at  present  was  to  construct  a  roundelay  of  which  this 
should  be  the  prevailing  sentiment.  He  indulged  the 
fancy  that  he  might  succeed  in  producing  a  composition 
which  would  have  a  fine  effect  here  in  Algeria,  where 
poetry  in  that  form  was  all  but  unknown. 

"  I  know  well  enough,"  he  said  repeatedly  to  himself, 
"  what  I  want  to  say.  I  want  to  tell  her  that  I  love  her 
sincerely,  and  wish  to  marry  her ;  but,  confound  it !  the 
words  won't  rhyme.  Plague  on  it !  Does  nothing  rhyme 
with  *  simplicity ' .-'     Ah  !  I  have  it  now — 

'  Lovers  should,  whoe'er  they  be^ 
Love  in  all  simplicity.' 

But  what  next }  how  am  I  to  go  on  ?  I  say,  Ben  Zoof," 
he  called  aloud  to  his  orderly,  who  was  trotting  silently 
close  in  his  rear,  "  did  you  ever  compose  any  poetry  ?  " 

"  No,  captain,"  answered  the  man  promptly  ;  "  I  have 
never  made  any  verses,  but  I  have  seen  them  made  fast 
enough  at  a  booth  during  the  fete  of  Montmartre." 

"  Can  you  remember  them  ?  " 


HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


"  Remember  them  !  to  be  sure  I  can.  This  is  the  way 
they  began — 

*  Come  in  !  come  in  !  you'll  not  repent 
The  entrance  money  you  have  spent ; 
The  wondrous  mirror  in  this  place 
Reveals  your  future  sweetheart's  face." 

"  Bosh  !  "  cried  Servadac  in  disgust ;  "  your  verses  are 
detestable  trash." 

"  As  good  as  any  others,  captain,  squeaked  through  a 
reed  pipe." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  man,"  said  Servadac  peremptorilyj 
"  I  have  made  another  couplet. 

'  Lovers  should,  whoe'er  they  b^ 
Love  in  all  simplicity  ; 
Lover,  loving  honestly, 
Offer  I  myself  to  thee.'  " 

Beyond  this,  however,  the  captain's  poetical  genius  was 
impotent  to  carry  him  ;  his  farther  efforts  were  unavailing, 
and  when  at  six  o'clock  he  reached  the  gourbi, 
lines  still  remained  the  limit  of  his  composition. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    ANTECEDENTS    OF    CAPTAIN     SERVADAC    AND     HIS 

ORDERLY,   BEN   ZOOF. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  there  might  be  seen 
in  the  registers  of  the  Minister  of  War  the  following 
entry — 

Servadac  {Hector),  born  at  St.  Tr^lody  in  the  district 
of  Lesparre,  department  of  the  Gironde,  July  19th,  18 — . 

Property  :  1 200  francs  in  rentes. 

Length  of  service :  Fourteen  years,  three  months,  and 
five  days. 

Service :  Two  years  at  school  at  St.  Cyr ;  two  years  at 
L'Ecole  d'Application  ;  two  years  in  the  8th  Regiment  of 
the  Line  ;  two  years  in  the  3rd  Light  Cavalry ;  seven 
years  in  Algeria. 

Campaig7is  :  Soudan  and  Japan. 

Rank :   Captain  on  the  staff  at  Mostagancm. 

Decorations :  Chevalier  of  the  Legion  of  Honour, 
March  13  th,  18 — . 

Hector  Servadac  was  thirty  years  of  age,  an  orphan 
without  lineage  and  almost  without  means.  Thirsting  for 
glory  rather  than  for  gold,  slightly  scatter-brained,  but 
warm-hearted,  generous,  and  brave,  he  was  eminently 
formed  to  be  the  proteg6  of  the  god  of  battles. 

For  the  first  year  and  a  half  of  his  existence  he  had 


8  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

been  the  foster-child  of  the  sturdy  wife  of  a  vine-dresser  of 
Medoc — a  lineal  descendant  of  the  heroes  of  ancient 
prowess  ;  in  a  word,  he  was  one  of  those  individuals  whom 
nature  seems  to  have  predestined  for  remarkable  things, 
and  around  whose  cradle  have  hovered  tlie  fairy  god- 
mothers of  adventure  and  good  luck. 

In  appearance  Hector  Servadac  was  quite  the  type  of 
an  officer ;  he  was  rather  more  than  five  feet  six  inches 
high,  slim  and  graceful,  with  dark  curling  hair  and  mous- 
taches, well-formed  hands  and  feet,  and  a  clear  blue  eye. 
He  seemed  born  to  please  without  being  conscious  of  the 
power  he  possessed.  It  must  be  owned,  and  no  one  was 
more  ready  to  confess  it  than  himself,  that  his  literary 
attainments  were  by  no  means  of  a  high  order.  "  We  don't 
spin  tops  "  is  a  favourite  saying  amongst  artillery  officers, 
indicating  that  they  do  not  shirk  their  duty  by  frivolous 
pursuits ;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  Servadac,  being 
naturally  idle,  was  very  much  given  to  "spinning  tops." 
His  good  abilities,  however,  and  his  ready  intelligence  had 
carried  him  successfully  through  the  curriculum  of  his 
early  career.  He  was  a  good  draughtsman,  an  excellent 
rider — having  thoroughly  mastered  the  successor  to  the 
famous  "  Uncle  Tom  "  at  the  riding-school  of  St.  Cyr — and 
the  records  of  his  military  service  related  that  his  name 
had  several  times  been  deservedly  included  in  the  order  of 
the  day. 

The  following  episode  may  suffice,  in  a  certain  degree, 
to  illustrate  his  character.  Once,  in  action,  he  was  leading 
a  detachment  of  infantry  through  an  intrenchment.  They 
came  to  a  place  where  the  side-work  of  the  trench  had 
been  so  riddled  by  shell  that  a  portion  of  it  had  actually 
fallen  in,  leaving  an  aperture  quite  unsheltered  from  the 
grape-shot  that  was  pouring  in  thick  and  fast.  The  men 
hesitated.  In  an  instant  Servadac  mounted  the  side-work, 
laid  himself  down  in  the  gap,  and  thus  filling  up  the 
breach  by  his  own  body,  shouted — 

"  March  on  !  " 

And    through    a   storm    of    shot,    not   one   of  which 


THE  CAPTAIN   AND   HIS  ORDERLY. 


touched  the  prostrate  officer,  the  whole  troop  passed  on  in 
safety. 

Since  leaving  the  military  college,  Servadac,  with  the 
exception  of  his  two  campaigns  in  the  Soudan  and  Japan, 
had  been  always  stationed  in  Algeria.  He  had  now  a 
staff  appointment  at  Mostaganem,  and  had  lately  been 
entrusted  with  some  topographical  work  on  the  coast 
between  Tenes  and  the  Shelif  It  was  a  matter  of  little 
consequence  to  him  that  the  gourbi,  in  which  of  necessity 
he  was  quartered,  was  uncomfortable  and  ill-contrived  ;  he 
loved  the  open  air,  and  the  independence  of  his  life  suited 
him  well.  Sometimes  he  would  wander  on  foot  upon  the 
sandy  shore,  and  sometimes  he  would  enjoy  a  ride  along 
the  summit  of  the  cliff;  altogether  being  in  no  hurry  at  all 
to  bring  his  task  to  an  end.  His  occupation,  moreover, 
was  not  so  engrossing  but  that  he  could  find  leisure  for 
taking  a  short  railway  journey  once  or  twice  a  week  ;  so 
that  he  was  ever  and  again  putting  in  an  appearance  at 
the  general's  receptions  at  Oran,  and  at  the  fetes  given 
by  the  governor  at  Algiers. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions  that  he  had  first  met 

Madame  de  L ,  the  lady  to  whom  he  was  desirous  of 

dedicating  the  rondo,  the  first  four  lines  of  which  had  just 
seen  the  light.  She  was  a  colonel's  widow,  young  and  hand- 
some, very  reserved,  not  to  say  haughty  in  her  manner, 
and  either  indifferent  or  impervious  to  the  admiration 
which  she  inspired.  Captain  Servadac  had  not  yet  ven- 
tured to  declare  his  attachment ;  of  rivals  he  was  well 
aware  he  had  not  a  few,  and  amongst  these  not  the  least 
formidable  was  the  Russian  Count  Timascheff.  And 
although  the  young  widow  was  all  unconscious  of  the 
share  she  had  in  the  matter,  it  was  she,  and  she  alone,  who 
was  the  cause  of  the  challenge  just  given  and  accepted  by 
her  two  ardent  admirers. 

During  his  residence  in  the  gourbi.  Hector  Servadac's 
sole  companion  was  his  orderly,  Ben  Zoof.  Ben  Zoof  was 
devoted,  body  and  soul,  to  his  superior  cfificer.  His  own 
personal  ambition  was  so  entirely  absorbed  in  his  master's 


lO  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


welfare,  that  it  is  certain  no  offer  of  promotion — even  had 
it  been  that  of  aide-de-camp  to  the  Governor-General  of 
Algiers — would  have  induced  him  to  quit  that  master's 
service.  His  name  might  seem  to  imply  that  he  was  a 
native  of  Algeria  ;  but  such  was  by  no  means  the  case„ 
His  true  name  was  Laurent ;  he  was  a  native  of  Mont- 
martre  in  Paris,  and  how  or  why  he  had  obtained  his 
patronymic  was  one  of  those  anomalies  which  the  most 
sagacious  of  etymologists  would  find  it  hard  to  explain. 

Born  on  the  hill  of  Montmartre,  between  the  Solferino 
tower  and  the  mill  of  La  Galette,  Ben  Zoof  had  ever  pos- 
sessed the  most  unreserved  admiration  for  his  birthplace ; 
and  to  his  eyes  the  heights  and  district  of  Montmartre 
represented  an  epitome  of  all  the  wonders  of  the  world.  In 
all  his  travels,  and  these  had  been  not  a  few,  he  had  never 
beheld  scenery  which  could  compete  with  that  of  his  native 
home.  No  cathedral — not  even  Burgos  itself— could  vie 
with  the  church  at  Montmartre.  Its  race-course  could  well 
hold  its  own  against  that  at  Pent61ique ;  its  reservoir 
would  throw  the  Mediterranean  into  the  shade ;  its  Solfe- 
rino tower  was  far  more  upright  than  the  tower  of  Pisa  ; 
its  forests  had  flourished  long  before  the  invasion  of  the 
Celts  ;  and  its  very  mill  produced  no  ordinary  flour,  but 
provided  material  for  cakes  of  world-wide  renown.  To 
crown  all,  Montmartre  boasted  a  mountain — a  veritable 
mountain;  envious  tongues  indeed  might  pronounce  it 
little  more  than  a  hill ;  but  Ben  Zoof  would  have  allowed 
himself  to  be  hewn  in  pieces  rather  than  admit  that  it  was 
anything  less  than  fifteen  thousand  feet  in  height. 

Ben  Zoofs  most  ambitious  desire  was  to  induce  the 
captain  to  go  with  him  and  end  his  days  in  his  much-loved 
home  ;  and  so  incessantly  were  Servadac's  ears  besieged 
with  descriptions  of  the  unparalleled  beauties  and  advan- 
tages of  this  eighteenth  arrondissement  of  Paris,  that  he 
could  scarcely  hear  the  name  of  Montmartre  without  a 
conscious  thrill  of  aversion.  Ben  Zoof,  however,  did  not 
despair  of  ultimately  converting  the  captain,  and  mean- 
while had  resolved  never  to  leave  him.  When  a  private  in  the 


THE  CAPTAIN  AND  HIS   ORDERLY.  II 

8th  Cavalry,  he  had  been  on  the  point  of  quitting  the  army 
at  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  but  unexpectedly  he  had  been 
appointed  orderly  to  Captain  Servadac.  Side  by  side  they 
fought  in  two  campaigns.  Servadac  had  saved  Ben  Zoof  s 
life  in  Japan  ;  Ben  Zoof  had  rendered  his  master  a  like 
service  in  the  Soudan.  The  bond  of  union  thus  effected 
could  never  be  severed  ;  and  although  Ben  Zoof  s  achieve- 
ments had  fairly  earned  him  the  right  of  retirement,  he 
firmly  declined  all  honours  or  any  pension  that  might  part 
him  from  his  superior  officer.  Two  stout  arms,  an  iron 
constitution,  a  powerful  frame,  and  an  indomitable  courage 
were  all  loyally  devoted  to  his  master's  service,  and  fairly 
entitled  him  to  his  soi-disant  designation  of  "  The  Rampart 
of  Montmartre."  Unlike  his  master,  he  made  no  preten- 
sion to  any  gift  of  poetic  power,  but  his  inexhaustible 
memory  made  him  a  living  encyclopaedia ;  and  for  his 
stock  of  anecdotes  and  trooper's  tales  he  was  matchless. 

Thoroughly  appreciating  his  servant's  good  qualities, 
Captain  Servadac  endured  with  imperturbable  good  humour 
those  idiosyncrasies,  which  in  a  less  faithful  follower  would 
have  been  intolerable,  and  from  time  to  time  he  would 
drop  a  word  of  sympathy  that  served  to  deepen  his  sub- 
ordinate's devotion. 

On  one  occasion,  when  Ben  Zoof  had  mounted  his 
hobby-horse,  and  was  indulging  in  high-flown  praises  about 
his  beloved  eighteenth  arrondissement,  the  captain  had 
remarked  gravely — 

"  Do  you  know,  Ben  Zoof,  that  Montmartre  only 
requires  a  matter  of  some  thirteen  thousand  feet  to  make 
it  as  high  as  Mont  Blanc  t " 

Ben  Zoof's  eyes  glistened  with  delight ;  and  from  that 
moment  Hector  Servadac  and  Montmartre  held  coual 
places  in  his  affection. 


CHAPTER  III. 

INTERRUPTED  EFFUSIONS. 

Composed  of  mud  and  loose  stones,  and  covered  with  a 

thatch  of  turf  and  straw,  known  to  the  natives  by  the  name 
of  "  driss,"  the  gourbi,  though  a  grade  better  than  the 
tents  of  the  nomad  Arabs,  was  yet  far  inferior  to  any 
habitation  built  of  brick  or  stone.  Little  more  than  a 
hovel,  the  gourbi  would  have  been  quite  inadequate  to  the 
needs  of  its  present  inmates,  if  it  had  not  adjoined  an  old 
stone  hostelry,  previously  occupied  by  a  detachment  of 
engineers,  and  which  now  afforded  shelter  for  Ben  Zoof 
and  the  two  horses.  It  still  contained  a  considerable 
number  of  tools,  such  as  mattocks,  shovels,  and  pick-axes. 

Uncomfortable  as  was  their  temporary  abode,  Servadac 
and  his  attendant  made  no  complaints :  neither  of  them 
was  dainty  in  the  matter  either  of  board  or  lodging. 

"  Give  a  man  a  little  philosophy  and  a  good  digestion, 
and  he  will  thrive  anywhere,"  was  a  favourite  speech  of  the 
captain's.  A  true  Gascon,  he  had  his  philosophy,  like  his 
pocket-money,  always  at  hand  ;  and  as  for  his  digestion,  it 
may  be  doubted  whether  the  weight  of  all  the  waters  of 
the  Garonne  would  have  caused  it  any  inconvenience. 
And  in  this  respect  Ben  Zoof  was  quite  a  match  for  his 
matter  ;  the  power  of  his  gastric  juices  was  enormous,  and 
to  any  believer  in  the  theory  of  metempsychosis  he  would 
appear  to  have  had  an  anterior  existence  under  the  form 
of  an  ostrich,  digesting  pebbles  as  easily  as  he  would  the 
tenderest  slice  from  the  breast  of  a  chicken. 


INTERRUPTED   EFFUSIONS.  I3 


The  gourbi  was  stocked  with  a  month's  provisions, 
water  in  abundance  could  be  obtained  from  an  adjacent 
cistern,  and  a  httle  foraging  was  sufficient  to  supply  the 
requirements  of  the  stable,  whilst  all  other  necessities 
could  be  satisfied  by  the  marvellous  fertility  of  the  plain 
between  Tenes  and  Mostaganem,  which  fairly  rivalled  the 
rich  country  of  the  Mitidja.  Game  was  pretty  plentiful, 
and  on  condition  that  he  did  not  allow  his  sport  to  interfere 
with  his  proper  duties,  the  captain,  like  other  staff-officers, 
was  permitted  to  use  a  fowling-piece. 

On  his  return  to  the  gourbi,  Servadac  dined  with  an 
appetite  to  which  his  long  ride  had  given  an  extra  sharp- 
ness. Ben  Zoof's  culinary  efforts  were  somewhat  remark- 
able :  no  tasteless  or  insipid  dishes  were  ever  the  result  of 
his  preparation  ;  salt,  pepper,  vinegar,  were  all  bestowed 
with  a  lavish  hand,  and  it  was  well  for  both  him  and  his 
master  that  their  gastronomic  powers  were  adequate  to 
absorb  the  most  pungent  of  condiments. 

After  dinner,  leaving  his  orderly  to  stow  away  the 
remains  of  the  repast  in  what  he  was  pleased  to  term  the 
"cupboard  of  his  stomach,"  Captain  Servadac  turned  out 
into  the  open  air  to  smoke  his  pipe  upon  the  edge  of  the 
cliff.  The  shades  of  night  were  drawing  on.  An  hour 
previously,  veiled  in  heavy  clouds,  the  sun  had  sunk  below 
the  horizon  that  bounded  the  plain  beyond  the  Shelif.  The 
sky  presented  a  most  singular  appearance.  Towards  the 
north,  although  the  darkness  rendered  it  impossible  to  see 
beyond  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  the  upper  strata  of  the  atmo- 
sphere were  suffused  with  a  rosy  glare.  No  well-defined 
fringe  of  light,  nor  arch  of  luminous  rays,  betokened  a 
display  of  aurora  borealis,  even  had  such  a  phenomenon  ■ 
been  possible  in  these  latitudes  ;  and  the  most  experienced ' 
meteorologist  would  have  been  puzzled  to  explain  the 
cause  of  this  striking  illumination  on  this  last  evening  of 
the  passing  year. 

But  Captain  Servadac  was  no  meteorologist,  and  it  is 
to  be  doubted  whether,  since  leaving  school,  he  had  ever 
opened  his   "  Course  of   Cosmography."     Besides,  as  he 


14  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


strolled  along-,  he  had  other  thoughts  to  occupy  his  mind. 
The  prospect  of  the  morrow  oftered  serious  matter  for 
consideration.  The  captain  was  actuated  by  no  personal 
animosity  against  the  count ;  though  rivals,  the  two  men 
regarded  each  other  with  sincere  respect ;  they  had  simply 
reached  a  crisis  in  which  one  of  them  was  de  trop ;  which 
of  them,  fate  must  decide. 

At    eight    o'clock,    Captain    Servadac  re-entered   the 
gourbi,  the  single  apartment  of  which  contained  his  bed,  a 
small  writing-table,  and  some  trunks  that  served  instead  of 
cupboards.     The  orderly  performed  his  culinary  operations 
in  the  adjoining  building,  which  he  also  used  as  a  bed- 
room, and  where,  extended  on  what  he  called  his  "  good 
oak  mattress,"  he  would  sleep  soundly  as  a  dormouse  for 
twelve  hours  at  a  stretch.     Ben  Zoof  had  not  yet  received 
his  orders  to  retire,  and  ensconcing  himself  in  a  corner  of 
the  gourbi,  he  endeavoured    to  doze — a   task  which   the 
unusual  agitation  of  his  master  rendered  somewhat  diiiicult 
Captain  Servadac  was  evidently   in  no   hurry  to   betake 
himself  to  rest,  but  seating  himself  at  his  table,  with  a  pair 
of  compasses  and  a  sheet  of  tracing-paper,  he  began  to 
draw,  with  red  and  blue  crayons,  a  variety  of  coloured 
lines,  which  could  hardly  be  supposed  to  have  much  con- 
nection with  a  topographical  suPi'ey.     In  truth,  his  charac- 
ter of  staff-officer  was  now  entirely  absorbed  into  that  of 
the  Gascon  poet.   Whether  he  imagined  that  the  compasses 
would  bestow  upon  his  verses  the  measure  of  a  mathe- 
matical accuracy,  or  whether  he  fancied  that  the   parti- 
coloured  lines   would   lend   variety   to   his   rhythm,  it   is 
impossible    to    determine ;    be   that   as   it   may,   he   was 
devoting  all  his  energies  to  the  compilation  of  his  rondo, 
and  supremely  difficult  he  found  the  task. 

"  Hang  it ! "  he  ejaculated,  "  whatever  induced  me  to 
choose  this  metre  .-*  It  is  as  hard  to  find  rhymes  as  to 
rally  fugitives  in  a  battle.  But,  by  all  the  powers!  it  shan't 
be  said  that  a  French  officer  cannot  cope  with  a  piece 
of  poetry.  One  battalion  has  shown  fight — now  for  the 
rest!" 


INTERRUPTED   EFFUSIONS.  15 


Perseverance  had  its  reward.  Presently  two  lines,  one 
red,  the  other  blue,  appeared  upon  the  paper,  and  the 
captain  murmured — 

*'  Words,  mere  words,  cannot  avail, 
Telling  true  heart's  tender  tale. " 

"  What  on  earth  ails  my  master  ? "  muttered  Ben  Zoof , 
"  for  the  last  hour  he  has  been  as  fidgety  as  a  bird  return- 
ing after  its  winter  migration." 

Servadac  suddenly  started  from  his  seat,  and  as  he 
paced  the  room  with  all  the  frenzy  of  poetic  inspiration, 
read  out — 

"  Empty  words  cannot  convey 
All  a  lover's  heart  would  say. 

"  Well,  to  be  sure,  he  is  at  his  everlasting  verses  again  !" 
said  Ben  Zoof  to  himself,  as  he  roused  himself  in  his 
corner.  "Impossible  to  sleep  in  such  a  noise;"  and  he 
gave  vent  to  a  loud  groan. 

"How  now,  Ben  Zoof.?"  said  the  captain,  sharply. 
"  What  ails  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  sir,  only  the  nightmare." 

"  Curse  the  fellow,  he  has  quite  interrupted  me ! " 
ejaculated  the  captain.     "  Ben  Zoof! "  he  called  aloud. 

"  Here,  sir  ! "  was  the  prompt  reply  ;  and  in  an  instant 
the  orderly  was  upon  his  feet,  standing  in  a  military  atti- 
tude, one  hand  to  his  forehead,  the  other  closely  pressed 
to  his  trouser-seam. 

"  Stay  where  you  are  !  don't  move  an  inch !  "  shouted 
Servadac  ;  "  I  have  just  thought  of  the  end  of  my  rondo." 

And  in  a  voice  of  inspiration,  accompanying  his  words 
with  dramatic  gestures,  Servadac  began  to  declaim: 

"  Listen,  lady,  to  my  vows — 
O,  consent  to  be  my  spouse  { 
Constant  ever  I  will  be, 
Constant  .  .  .  ." 

No  closing  lines  were  uttered.  All  at  once,  with 
unutterable  violence,  the  captain  and  his  orderly  were 
dashed,  face  downwards,  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  CONVULSION  OF  NATURE. 

Whence  came  it  that  at  that  very  moment  the  honzon 
underwent  so  strange  and  sudden  a  modification,  that  the 
eye  of  the  most  practised  mariner  could  not  distinguish 
between  sea  and  sky  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  the  billows  raged  and  rose  to  a 
height  hitherto  unregistered  in  the  records  of  science  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  the  elements  united  in  one  deafen- 
ing crash  ;  that  the  earth  groaned  as  though  the  whole 
framework  of  the  globe  were  ruptured  ;  that  the  waters 
roared  from  their  innermost  depths  ;  that  the  air  shrieked 
with  all  the  fury  of  a  cyclone  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  a  radiance,  intenser  than  the 
effulgence  of  the  Northern  Lights,  overspread  the  firma- 
ment, and  momentarily  dimmed  the  splendour  of  the 
brightest  stars  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  the  Mediterranean,  one  instant 
emptied  of  its  waters,  was  the  next  flooded  with  a  foaming 
surge  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  in  the  space  of  a  few  seconds  the 
moon's  disc  reached  a  magnitude  as  though  it  were  but  a 
tenth  part  of  its  ordinary  distance  from  the  earth  ? 

Whence  came  it  that  a  new  blazing  spheroid,  hitherto 
unknown  to  astronomy,  now  appeared  suddenly  in  the 
firmament,  though  it  were  but  to  lose  itself  immediately 
behind  masses  of  accumulated  cloud  ? 


A  CONVULSION   OF  NATURE.  I7 

What  phenomenon  was  this  that  had  produced  a  cata- 
clysm so  tremendous  in  its  effects  upon  earth,  sky,  and 
sea? 

Was  it  possible  that  a  single  human  being  could  have 
survived  the  convulsion  ?  and  if  so,  could  he  explain  its 
mystery  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 

A     MYSTERIOUS     SEA. 

Violent  as  the  commotion  had  been,  that  portion  of  the 
Algerian  coast  which  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
Mediterranean,  and  on  the  west  by  the  right  bank  of 
the  Shehf,  appeared  to  have  suffered  little  change.  It  is 
true  that  slight  indentations  were  perceptible  in  the  fertile 
plain,  and  the  surface  of  the  sea  was  ruffled  with  an  agita- 
tion that  was  quite  unusual ;  but  the  rugged  outline  of  the 
cliff  was  the  same  as  heretofore,  and  the  physical  aspect 
of  the  entire  scene  appeared  generally  unaltered.  The 
stone  hostelry,  with  the  exception  of  some  deep  clefts  in 
its  walls,  had  sustained  little  injury  ;  but  the  gourbi,  like  a 
house  of  cards  destroyed  by  an  infant's  breath,  had  con^- 
pletely  subsided,  and  its  two  inmates  lay  motionless,  burie* 
under  the  sunken  thatch. 

It  was  two  hours  after  the  catastrophe  that  Captain 
Servadac  regained  consciousness ;  he  had  some  trouble  to 
collect  his  thoughts,  and  it  is  not  altogether  surprising 
that  the  first  sounds  that  escaped  his  lips  were  the  con- 
cluding words  of  the  rondo  which  had  been  so  ruthlessly 
interrupted — 

**  Constant  ever  I  will  be, 
Constant  .  ..." 

His  next  thought  was  to  wonder  what  had  Happened ; 
and  in  ord  r  to  iind  an  answer  to  the  question,  he  pushed 


A  MYSTERIOUS  SEA.  I9 

aside  the  broken  thatch,  so  that  his  head  appeared  above 
the  debris. 

"  The  gourbi  levelled  to  the  ground  ! "  he  exclaimed, 
as  he  looked  about  him  ;  "  surely  a  waterspout  has  passed 
along  the  coast." 

He  felt  all  over  his  body  to  perceive  what  injuries  he 
had  sustained,  but  not  a  sprain  nor  a  scratch  could  he 
discover. 

"Where  are  you,  Ben  Zoof?"  he  shouted  next 

"Here,  sir!"  and  with  military  promptitude  a  second 
head  protruded  from  the  rubbish. 

"  Have  you  any  notion  what  has  happened,  Ben  Zoof?" 
asked  Servadac. 

"  I've  a  notion,  captain,  that  it's  all  up  with  us." 

**  Nonsense,  Ben  Zoof;  it  is  nothing  but  a  waterspout !  " 

"Very  good,  sir,"  was  the  philosophical  reply,  imme- 
diately followed  by  the  query,  "  Any  bones  broken,  sir  ?  " 

"  None  whatever,"  said  the  captain. 

Both  men  were  soon  on  their  feet,  and  began  to  make 
a  vigorous  clearance  of  the  ruins,  beneath  which  they 
found  that  their  arms,  cooking  utensils,  and  other  property 
had  sustained  little  injury. 

"By-the-by,  what  o'clock  is  it?"  cisked  the  captain 
presently. 

"It  must  be  eight  o'clock,  at  least,"  said  Ben  Zoor, 
looking  at  the  sun,  which  was  a  considerable  height  above 
the  horizon.     "  It  is  almost  time  for  us  to  start" 

"  To  start !  what  for  ? " 

"To  keep  your  appointment  with  Count  Timascheff." 

"By  Jove!  I  had  forgotten  all  about  itl"  exclaimed 
Servadac. 

Then  looking  at  his  watch,  he  cried  : — 

"What  are  you  thinking  of,  Ben  Zoof?  It  is  scarcely 
two  o'clock." 

"  Two  in  the  morning,  or  two  in  the  afternoon  ? "  asked 
Ben  Zoof,  again  regarding  the  sun. 

Servadac  raised  his  watch  to  his  ear. 

"  It  is  going,"  said ;  he  **  but,  by  all  the  wines  of  M^doc, 


20  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

I  am  puzzled.    Don't  you  see  that  the  sun  is  in  the  west  ? 
It  must  be  near  setting." 

"  Setting,  captain  !     Why,  it  is  rising  finely,  like  a  con 
script  at  the  sound  of  the  reveille.      It  is  considerably 
higher  since  we  have  been  talking." 

Incredible  as  it  might  appear,  the  fact  was  undeniable 
that  the  sun  was  rising  over  the  Shelif  from  that  quarter 
of  the  horizon  behind  which  it  usually  sank  for  the  latter 
portion  of  its  daily  round.  They  were  utterly  bewildered. 
Some  mysterious  phenomenon  must  not  only  have  altered 
the  position  of  the  sun  in  the  sidereal  system,  but  must 
even  have  brought  about  an  important  modification  of  the 
earth's  rotation  on  her  axis.  If  Captain  Servadac  could 
now  have  laid  hands  upon  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Longitudes,  he  would  doubtless  have  sought  all  manner 
of  information  ;  but  as  it  was,  he  consoled  himself  with  the 
prospect  of  reading  an  explanation  of  the  mystery  in  next 
week's  newspapers,  and  turned  his  attention  to  what  was 
to  him  of  more  immediate  importance. 

"  Come,  let  us  be  off,"  said  he  to  his  orderly  ;  "  though 
heaven  and  earth  be  topsy-turvy,  I  must  be  at  my  post 
this  morning." 

"  To  do  Count  Timascheff  the  honour  of  running  him 
through  the  body,"  added  Ben  Zoof. 

If  Servadac  and  his  orderly  had  been  less  preoccupied, 
they  would  have  noticed  that  a  variety  of  other  physical 
changes  besides  the  apparent  alteration  in  the  movement 
of  the  sun  had  been  evolved  during  the  atmospheric  dis- 
turbances of  that  New  Year's  night.  As  they  descended 
the  steep  footpath  leading  from  the  cliff  towards  the  Shelif. 
they  were  unconscious  that  their  respiration  became  forced 
and  rapid,  like  that  of  a  mountaineer  when  he  has  reached 
an  altitude  where  the  circumambient  air  has  become  less 
charged  with  oxygen.  They  were  also  unconscious  that 
their  voices  were  thin  and  feeble ;  either  they  must  them- 
selves have  become  rather  deaf,  or  it  was  evident  that  the 
air  had  become  less  capable  of  transmitting  sound. 

The  weather,  which  on  the  previous  evening  had  been 


A  MYSTERIOUS   SEA.  21 

very  foggy,  had  entirely  changed.  The  sky  had  assumed 
a  singular  tint,  and  was  soon  covered  with  lowering  clouds 
that  completely  hid  the  sun.  There  were,  indeed,  all  the 
signs  of  a  coming  storm,  but  the  vapour,  on  account  of 
the  insufficient  condensation,  failed  to  get  resolved. 

The  sea  appeared  quite  deserted,  a  most  unusual  cir- 
cumstance along  this  coast,  and  not  a  sail  nor  a  trail  of 
smoke  broke  the  grey  monotony  of  water  and  sky.  The 
limits  of  the  horizon,  too,  had  become  much  circumscribed. 
On  land,  as  well  as  on  sea,  the  remote  distance  had  com- 
pletely disappeared,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the  globe 
had  assumed  a  more  decided  convexity. 

At  the  pace  at  which  they  were  walking,  it  was  very 
evident  that  the  captain  and  his  attendant  would  not  take 
long  to  accomplish  the  three  miles  that  lay  between  the 
gourbi  and  the  place  of  rendezvous.  They  did  not  ex- 
change a  word,  but  each  was  conscious  of  an  unusual 
buoyancy,  which  appeared  to  lift  up  their  bodies  and  give, 
as  it  were,  wings  to  their  feet.  If  Ben  Zoof  had  expressed 
his  sensations  in  words,  he  would  have  said  that  he  felt 
"  up  to  anything,"  and  he  had  even  forgotten  to  taste  so 
much  as  a  crust  of  bread,  a  lapse  of  memory  of  which  the 
worthy  soldier  was  rarely  guilty. 

As  these  thoughts  were  crossing  his  mind,  a  harsh 
bark  was  heard  to  the  left  of  the  footpath,  and  a  jackal 
was  seen  emerging  from  a  large  grove  of  lentisks.  Re- 
garding the  two  wayfarers  with  manifest  uneasiness,  the 
beast  took  up  its  position  at  the  foot  of  a  rock,  more  than 
thirty  feet  in  height.  It  belonged  to  an  African  species 
distinguished  by  a  black  spotted  skin,  and  a  black  Hne 
down  the  front  of  the  legs.  At  night-time,  when  they 
scour  the  country  in  herds,  the  creatures  are  somewhat 
formidable,  but  singly  they  are  no  more  dangerous  than 
a  dog.  Though  by  no  means  afraid  of  them,  Ben  Zoof 
had  a  particular  aversion  to  jackals,  perhaps  because  they 
had  no  place  among  the  fauna  of  his  beloved  Montmartre. 
He  accordingly  began  to  make  threatening  gestures,  when, 
to  the  unmitigated  astonishment  of  himself  and  the  cap- 


22  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


tain,  the  animal  darted  fonvard,  and  in  one  single  bound 
gained  the  summit  of  the  rock. 

"  Good  heavens  ! "  cried  Ben  Zoof,  "  that  leap  must 
have  been  thirty  feet  at  least." 

"  Tme  enough,"  replied  the  captain  ;  **  I  never  saw 
such  a  jump." 

Meantime  the  jackal  had  seated  itself  upon  its 
haunches,  and  was  staring  at  the  two  men  with  an  air 
of  impudent  defiance.  This  was  too  much  for  Ben  Zoof  s 
forbearance,  and  stooping  down  he  caught  up  a  huge 
stone,  when,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  that  it  was  no  heavier 
than  a  piece  of  petrified  sponge. 

"  Confound  the  brute !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  I  might  as  well 
throw  a  piece  of  bread  at  him.  What  accounts  for  its 
being  as  light  as  this  ?  " 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  hurled  the  stone  into  the 
air.  It  missed  its  aim  ;  but  the  jackal,  deeming  it  on  the 
whole  prudent  to  decamp,  disappeared  across  the  trees  and 
hedges  with  a  series  of  bounds,  which  could  only  be  likened 
to  those  that  might  be  made  by  an  india-rubber  kangaroo. 
Ben  Zoof  was  sure  that  his  own  powers  of  propelling  must 
equal  those  of  a  howitzer,  for  his  stone,  after  a  lengthened 
flight  through  the  air,  fell  to  the  ground  full  five  hundred 
paces  the  other  side  of  the  rock. 

The  orderly  was  now  some  yards  ahead  of  his  master, 
and  had  reached  a  ditch  full  of  water,  and  about  ten  feet 
wide.  With  the  intention  of  clearing  it,  he  made  a  spring, 
when  a  loud  cry  burst  from  Servadac — 

"  Ben  Zoof,  you  idiot  I  What  are  you  about  ?  You'll 
break  your  back." 

And  well  might  he  be  alarmed,  for  Ben  Zoof  had  | 
sprung  to  a  height  of  forty  feet  into  the  air.  Fearful  of  | 
the  consequences  that  would  attend  the  descent  of  his 
servant  to  terra  firma,  Servadac  bounded  forwards,  to  be 
on  the  other  side  of  the  ditch  in  time  to  break  his  fall.  But 
the  muscular  effort  that  he  made  carried  him  in  his  turn  to 
an  altitude  of  thirty  feet ;  in  his  ascent  he  passed  Ben  Zoof, 
who  had  already  commenced  his  downward  course;  and 


A   MYSTERIOUS  SEA.  23 


then,  obedient  to  the  laws  of  gravitation,  he  descended 
with  increasing  rapidity,  and  alighted  upon  the  earth  with- 
out experiencing  a  shock  greater  than  if  he  had  merely 
made  a  bound  of  four  or  five  feet  high.  Ben  Zoof  burst 
into  a  roar  of  laughter. 

"  Bravo  1 "  he  said,  "  we  should  make  a  good  pair  of 
clowns." 

But  the  captain  was  inclined  to  take  a  more  serious 
view  of  the  matter.  For  a  few  seconds  he  stood  lost  in 
thought ;  then,  laying  his  hand  upon  the  orderly's  shoulder, 
he  said  solemnly — 

"  Ben  Zoof,  I  must  be  dreaming.  Pinch  me  hard  ;  I 
must  be  either  asleep  or  mad." 

"  It  is  very  certain  that  something  has  happened  to  us," 
said  Ben  Zoof,  "  I  have  occasionally  dreamt  that  I  was  a 
swallow  flying  over  Montmartre,  but  I  never  experienced 
anything  of  this  kind  before ;  it  must  be  peculiar  to  the 
coast  of  Algeria." 

Servadac  was  stupefied  ;  he  felt  instinctively  that  he 
was  not  dreaming,  and  yet  was  powerless  to  solve  the 
mystery.  He  was  not,  however,  the  man  to  puzzle  himself 
for  long  over  any  insoluble  problem. 

"  Come  what  may,"  he  presently  exclaimed,  "  we  will 
make  up  our  minds  for  the  future  to  be  surprised  at 
nothing." 

*  Right,  captain,"  replied  Ben  Zoof;  "and,  first  of  all, 
let  us  settle  our  little  score  with  Count  Timascheff." 

Beyond  the  ditch  lay  a  small  piece  of  meadow  land, 
about  an  acre  in  extent.  A  soft  and  delicious  herbage 
carpeted  the  soil,  whilst  trees  of  about  fifty  years'  growtn — 
evergreen  oaks,  palms,  bread-fruits,  sycamores,  interspersed 
with  cactuses  and  aloes,  and  topped  by  two  or  three  fine 
specimens  of  the  eucalyptus — formed  a  charming  frame- 
work to  the  whole.  No  spot  could  have  been  chosen  more 
suitable  for  the  meeting  between  the  two  adversaries. 

Servadac  cast  a  hasty  glance  round  the  meadow.  No 
one  was  in  sight. 

*'  We  are  the  first  on  the  field,"  he  said. 


34  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

*'  Not  so  sure  of  that,  sir,"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Servadac,  looking  at 
his  watch,  which  he  had  set  as  near  as  possible  by  the 
sun  before  leaving  the  gourbi ;  "  it  is  not  nine  o'clock  yet." 

"  Look  up  there,  sir.  I  am  much  mistaken  if  that  is  not 
the  sun ; "  and  as  Ben  Zoof  spoke,  he  pointed  directly  over- 
head to  where  a  faint  white  disc  was  dimly  visible  through 
the  haze  of  clouds. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  Servadac.  "  How  can  the  sun 
be  in  the  zenith  in  the  month  of  January,  in  lat.  39°  N.  ? " 

"  Can't  say,  sir.  I  only  know  the  sun  is  there  ;  and  at 
the  rate  he  has  been  travelling,  I  would  lay  my  cap  to 
a  dish  of  cous-cous  *  that  in  less  than  three  hours  he  will 
have  set." 

Hector  Servadac,  mute  and  motionless,  stood  with 
folded  arms.  Presently  he  roused  himself,  and  began  to 
examine  the  various  quarters  of  the  horizon. 

"  What  means  all  this  ? "  he  murmured.  "  Laws  of 
gravity  disturbed  !  Points  of  the  compass  reversed  !  The 
length  of  day  reduced  one  half !  Surely  this  will  indefi- 
nitely postpone  my  meeting  with  the  count.  Something 
has  happened  ;  Ben  Zoof  and  I  cannot  both  be  mad  ! " 

The  orderly,  meantime,  surveyed  his  master  with  the 
greatest  equanimity ;  no  phenomenon,  however  extraordi- 
nary, would  have  drawn  from  him  a  single  exclamation  of 
surprise. 

"  Do  you  see  any  one,  Ben  Zoof  ? "  asked  the  captain, 
at  last. 

"  No  one,  sir  ;  the  count  has  evidently  been  and  gone." 

"  But   supposing   that   to  be  the  case,"  persisted  the 

I  captain,  "my  seconds  would  have  waited,  and  not  seeing 

me,  would  have  come  on  towards  the  gourbi.     I  can  only 

conclude  that  they  have  been  unable  to  get  here  ;  and  as 

for  Count  Timascheff " 

Without  finishing  his  sentence,  Captain  Servadac, 
thinking  it  just  probable  that  the  count,  as  on  the  pre- 


*  Cous-cous :  an  African  dish  composed  of  the  flour  of  millet,  with  meat 
and  the  bark  of  the  adansonia. 


In  his  Ascent  he  passed  Ben  Zoof,  who  had  already  commenced  his 

Downward  Course. 


A  MYSTERIOUS  SEA.  2$ 

vious  evening,  might  come  by  water,  walked  to  the  ridge 
of  rock  that  overhung  the  shore,  in  order  to  ascertain 
if  the  Dobryna  were  anywhere  in  sight.  But  the  sea  was 
deserted,  and  for  the  first  time  the  captain  noticed  that, 
although  the  wind  was  calm,  the  waters  were  unusually 
agitated,  and  seethed  and  foamed  as  though  they  were 
boiling.  It  was  very  certain  that  the  yacht  would  have 
found  a  difficulty  in  holding  her  own  in  such  a  swell. 
Another  thing  that  now  struck  Sei-vadac  was  the  extra- 
ordinary contraction  of  the  horizon.  Under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, his  elevated  position  would  have  allowed  him 
a  radius  of  vision  at  least  five  and  twenty  miles  in  length  ; 
but  the  terrestrial  sphere  seemed,  in  the  course  of  the  last 
few  hours,  to  have  become  considerably  reduced  in  volume, 
and  he  could  now  see  for  a  distance  of  only  six  miles  in 
every  direction. 

Meantime,  with  the  agility  of  a  monkey,  Ben  Zoof  had 
clambered  to  the  top  of  a  eucalyptus,  and  from  his  lofty 
perch  was  surveying  the  country  to  the  south,  as  well  as 
towards  both  Tenes  and  Mostaganem.  On  descending,  he 
informed  the  captain  that  the  plain  was  entirely  deserted. 

"  We  will  make  our  way  to  the  river,  and  get  over  into 
Mostaganem,"  said  the  captain. 

The  Shelif  was  not  m.ore  than  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
the  meadow,  but  no  time  was  to  be  lost  if  the  two  men 
were  to  reach  the  town  before  nightfall.  Though  still 
hidden  by  heavy  clouds,  the  sun  was  evidently  declining 
fast;  and, what  was  equally  inexplicable,  it  was  not  follow- 
ing the  oblique  curve  that  in  these  latitudes  and  at  this 
time  of  year  might  be  expected,  but  was  sinking  perpen- 
dicularly on  to  the  horizon. 

As  he  went  along,  Captain  Servadac  pondered  deeply. 
Perchance  some  unheard-of  phenomenon  had  modified 
the  rotatory  motion  of  the  globe ;  or  perhaps  the  Algerian 
coast  had  been  transported  beyond  the  equator  into  the 
southern  hemisphere.  Yet  the  earth  (with  the  exception 
of  the  alteration  in  its  convexity),  in  this  part  of  Africa  at 
least,  seemed  to  have  undergone  no  change  of  any  very  great 


26  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


importance.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  shore  was, 
as  it  had  ever  been,  a  succession  of  cliffs,  beach,  and  arid 
rocks,  tinged  with  a  red  ferruginous  hue.  To  the  south — 
if  south,  in  this  inverted  order  of  things,  it  might  still  be 
called — the  face  of  the  country  also  appeared  unaltered, 
and,  three  leagues  away,  the  peaks  of  the  Merdeyah  moun- 
tains still  retained  their  accustomed  outline. 

Presently  a  rift  in  the  clouds  gave  passage  to  an  ob- 
lique ray  of  light  that  clearly  proved  that  the  sun  was 
setting  in  the  east. 

"  Well,  I  am  curious  to  know  what  they  think  of  all 
this  at  Mostaganem,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  wonder,  too, 
what  the  Minister  of  War  will  say  when  he  receives  a 
telegram  informing  him  that  his  African  colony  has 
become,  not  morally,  but  physically  disorganized  ;  that 
the  cardinal  points  are  at  variance  with  ordinary  rules, 
and  that  the  sun  in  the  month  of  January  is  shining  down 
vertically  upon  our  heads." 

Ben  Zoof,  whose  ideas  of  discipline  were  extremel) 
rigid,  at  once  suggested  that  the  colony  should  be  put 
under  the  surveillance  of  the  police,  that  the  cardinal 
points  should  be  placed  under  restraint,  and  that  the  sun 
should  be  shot  for  breach  of  discipline. 

Meantime,  they  were  both  advancing  with  the  utmost 
speed.  The  decompression  of  the  atmosphere  made  the 
specific  gravity  of  their  bodies  extraordinarily  light,  and 
they  ran  like  hares  and  leaped  like  chamois.  Leaving  the 
devious  windings  of  the  footpath,  they  went  as  a  crow 
would  fly,  or  as  the  Americans  would  say,  "  took  a  bee's 
flight"  across  the  country.  Hedges,  trees,  and  streams 
were  cleared  at  a  bound,  and  under  these  conditions  Ben 
Zoof  felt  that  he  could  have  overstepped  Montmartre  at 
a  single  stride.  The  earth  seemed  as  elastic  as  the  spring- 
board of  an  acrobat  ;  they  scarcely  touched  it  with  their 
feet,  and  their  only  fear  was  lest  the  height  to  which  they 
were  propelled  would  consume  the  time  which  they  were 
saving  by  their  short  cut  across  the  fields. 

It  was  not  long  before  their  wild  career  brought  them 


A   MYSTERIOUS   SEA.  2/ 


to  the  right  bank  of  the  Shelif.  Here  they  were  compelled 
to  stop,  for  not  only  had  the  bridge  completely  disap- 
peared, but  the  river  itself  no  longer  existed.  Of  the  left 
bank  there  was  not  the  slightest  trace,  and  the  right  bank, 
which  on  the  previous  evening  had  bounded  the  yellow 
stream,  as  it  murmured  peacefully  along  the  fertile  plain, 
had  now  become  the  shore  of  a  tumultuous  ocean,  its  azure 
waters  extending  westwards  far  as  the  eye  could  ^ach, 
and  annihilating  the  tract  of  country  which  had  hitherto 
formed  the  district  of  Mostaganem.  The  shore  coincided 
exactly  with  what  had  been  the  right  bank  of  the  Shelif, 
and  in  a  slightly  curved  line  ran  north  and  south.  The 
catastrophe  of  which  this  part  of  Africa  had  been  the  scene 
had  evidently  had  no  effect  in  altering  its  configuration, 
which  was  still  precisely  identical  with  that  laid  down  by 
the  latest  hydrographical  survey,  whilst  the  adjacent  groves 
«»nd  meadows  all  retained  their  previous  positions.  But 
Vtie  river-bank  had  now  become  the  shore  of  an  unknown 
sea. 

Eager  to  throw  some  light  upon  the  mystery,  Servadac 
hurriedly  made  his  way  through  the  oleander  bushes  that 
overhung  the  shore,  took  up  some  water  in  the  hollow  of 
his  hand,  and  carried  it  to  his  lips. 

"  Salt  as  brine ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  soon  as  he  had 
tasted  it.  "  The  sea  has  undoubtedly  swallowed  up  all  the 
western  part  of  Algeria." 

"It  will  not  last  long,  sir,"  said  Ben  Zoof.  "It  is, 
probably,  only  a  severe  flood." 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 

"Worse  than  that,  I  fear,  Ben  Zoof,"  he  replied  with 
emotion.  "It  is  a  catastrophe  that  cannot  fail  to  be 
attended  with  very  serious  consequences.  What  can  have 
become  of  all  my  friends  and  fellow-officers  ?  " 

Ben  Zoof  was  silent.  Rarely  had  he  seen  his  master 
so  much  agitated  ;  and  though  himself  inclined  to  receive 
these  phenomena  with  philosophic  indifTerence,  his  notions 
of  military  duty  caused  his  countenance  to  reflect  the 
captain's  expression  of  amazement 


28  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

But  there  was  little  time  for  Servadac  to  examine  the 
changes  which  a  few  hours  had  wrought.  The  sun  had 
already  reached  the  eastern  horizon,  and  just  as  though 
it  were  crossing  the  ecliptic  under  the  tropics,  it  sank 
like  a  cannon-ball  into  the  sea.  Without  any  warning, 
day  had  rapidly  given  place  to  night,  and  earth,  sea,  and 
skv  were  immediately  wrapped  in  profound  obscurity 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  CAPTAIN   MAKES  AN  EXPLORATION. 

Hector  Servadac  was  not  the  man  to  remain  long 
unnerved  by  any  untoward  event.  It  was  part  of  his 
character  to  discover  the  why  and  the  wherefore  of  every- 
thing that  came  under  his  observation,  and  he  would  have 
faced  a  cannon-ball  the  more  unflinchingly  from  under- 
standing the  dynamic  force  by  which  it  was  propelled. 
Such  being  his  temperament,  it  may  well  be  imagined  that 
he  was  anxious  not  to  remain  long  in  ignorance  of  the 
cause  of  the  phenomena  which  had  been  so  startling  in 
their  consequences. 

"  We  must  inquire  into  this  to-morrow,"  he  exclaimed, 
as  darkness  fell  suddenly  upon  him.  Then,  after  a  pause, 
he  added  :  "  That  is  to  say,  if  there  is  to  be  a  to-morrow  ; 
for  if  I  were  to  be  put  to  the  torture,  I  could  not  tell 
what  has  become  of  the  sun." 

"  May  I  ask,  sir,  what  we  are  to  do  now  ? "  put  in  Ben 
Zoof. 

"Stay  where  we  are  for  the  present;  and  when  day- 
light appears — if  it  ever  does  appear — we  will  explore  the 
coast  to  the  west  and  south,  and  return  to  the  gourbi.  If 
we  can  find  out  nothing  else,  we  must  at  least  discover 
where  we  are." 

"  Meanwhile,  sir,  may  we  go  to  sleep  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  like,  and  if  you  can.** 

Nothing  loath  to  avail  himself  of  his  master's  permis- 


30  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


sion,  Ben  Zoof  crouched  down  in  an  angle  of  the  shore, 
threw  his  arms  over  his  eyes,  and  very  soon  slept  the  sleep 
of  the  ignorant,  which  is  often  sounder  than  the  sleep  o( 
the  just. 

Ovenvhelmed  by  the  questions  that  crowded  upon  hia 
brain,  Captain  Servadac  could  only  wander  up  and  down 
the  shore.  Again  and  again  he  asked  himself  what  the 
catastrophe  could  portend.  Had  it  affected  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  continent,  and  had  the  towns  of  Algiers, 
Oran,  and  Mostaganem  escaped  the  inundation  ?  Could 
he  bring  himself  to  believe  that  all  the  inhabitants,  his 
friends,  and  comrades  had  perished  ;  or  was  it  not  more 
probable  that  the  Mediterranean  had  merely  invaded  the 
region  of  the  mouth  of  the  Shelif  ?  But  this  supposition, 
although  it  might  to  some  extent  account  for  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  river,  did  not  in  the  least  explain  the  other 
physical  disturbances.  Another  hypothesis  that  presented 
itself  to  his  mind  was  that  the  African  coast  might  have 
been  suddenly  transported  to  the  equatorial  zone.  But 
although  this  might  get  over  the  difficulty  of  the  altered 
jtltitude  of  the  sun  and  the  absence  of  twilight,  yet  it 
would  neither  account  for  the  sun  setting  in  the  east,  nor 
for  the  length  of  the  day  being  reduced  from  twelve  hours 
to  six. 

"  We  must  wait  till  to-morrow,"  he  repeated  ;  adding, 
for  he  had  become  distrustful  of  the  future,  "  that  is  to  say, 
if  to-morrow  ever  comes." 

Although  not  very  learned  in  astronomy,  Servadac 
was  acquainted  with  the  position  of  the  principal  constella- 
tions. It  was  therefore  a  considerable  disappointment  to 
him  that,  in  consequence  of  the  heavy  clouds,  not  a  star 
was  visible  in  the  firmament.  To  have  ascertained  that 
the  pole-star  had  become  displaced  would  have  been  an 
undeniable  proof  that  the  earth  was  revolving  on  a  new 
axis  ;  but  not  a  rift  appeared  in  the  lowering  clouds,  which 
seemed  to  threaten  torrents  of  rain. 

It  happened  that  the  moon  was  new  on  that  very  day ; 
naturally,  therefore,  it  would  have  set  at  the  same  time  as 


THE  CAPTAIN   MAKES  AN   EXPLORATION.  3 1 


the  sun.  What,  then,  was  the  captain's  bewilderment 
when,  after  he  had  been  walking  for  about  an  hour  and  a 
half,  he  noticed  on  the  western  horizon  a  strong  glare  that 
penetrated  even  the  masses  of  the  clouds. 

"  The  moon  in  the  west !  "  he  cried  aloud  ;  but  suddenly- 
bethinking  himself,  he  added.  "  But  no,  that  cannot  be  the 
moon  ;  unless  she  had  shifted  very  much  nearer  the  earth, 
she  could  never  give  a  light  as  intense  as  this." 

And  zs  he  spoke  the  screen  of  vapour  was  illuminated 
to  such  a  degree  that  the  whole  country  was  as  it  were 
bathed  in  twilight. 

"  What  can  this  be  ? "  soliloquized  the  captain.  **  It 
cannot  be  the  sun,  for  the  sun  set  in  the  east  only  an  hour 
and  a  half  ago.  Would  that  those  clouds  would  disclose 
what  enormous  luminary  lies  behind  them  !  What  a  fool 
I  was  not  to  have  learnt  more  astronomy !  Perhaps,  after 
all,  I  am  racking  my  brain  over  something  that  is  quite  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  nature." 

But,  reason  as  he  might,  the  mysteries  of  the  heavens 
still  remained  impenetrable.  For  about  an  hour  some 
luminous  body,  its  disc  evidently  of  gigantic  dimensions, 
shed  its  rays  upon  the  upper  strata  of  the  clouds ;  then, 
marvellous  to  relate,  mstead  of  obeying  the  ordinary  laws 
of  celestial  mechanism,  and  descending  upon  the  opposite 
horizon,  it  seemed  to  rise  in  a  line  perpendicular  to  the 
plane  of  the  equator,  and  vanished. 

The  darkness  that  returned  to  the  face  of  the  earth  was 
not  more  profound  than  the  gloom  which  fell  upon  the 
captain's  soul.  Everything  was  mcomprehensible.  The 
simplest  mechanical  rules  seemed  falsified  ;  the  planets  had 
defied  the  laws  of  gravitation  ;  the  motions  of  the  celestial 
spheres  were  erroneous  as  those  of  a  watch  with  a  defective 
mainspring,  and  there  was  only  too  much  reason  to  fear 
that  the  sun  would  never  again  shed  his  radiance  upon  the 
earth. 

But  the  captain's  fears  were  groundless.  In  three  hours' 
time,  without  any  intervening  twilight,  the  morning  sun 
made  its  appearance  in  the  west,  and  day  once  more  had 


32  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

dawned.  On  consulting  his  watch,  Servadac  found  that 
night  had  lasted  precisely  six  hours.  Ben  Zoof,  who  was 
unaccustomed  to  so  brief  a  period  (/  repose,  was  still 
slumbering  soundly. 

"  Come,  wake  up  ! "  said  Servadac,  shaking  him  by  the 
shoulder  ;  "  it  is  time  to  start." 

"  Time  to  start } "  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  rubbing  his  eyes. 
"  I  feel  as  if  I  had  only  just  gone  to  sleep." 

"  You  have  slept  all  night,  at  any  rate,"  replied  the 
captain  ;  "  it  has  only  been  for  six  hours,  but  you  must 
make  it  enough." 

**  Enough  it  shall  be,  sir,"  was  the  submissive  rejoinder. 

"  And  now,"  continued  Servadac,  "  we  will  take  the 
shortest  way  back  to  the  gourbi,  and  see  what  our  horses 
ihink  about  it  all." 

"  They  will  think  that  they  ought  to  be  groomed,"  said 
^he  orderly. 

"  Very  good ;  you  may  groom  them  and  saddle  them  as 
'ijuickly  as  you  like.  I  want  to  know  what  has  become  of 
the  rest  of  Algeria  :  if  we  cannot  get  round  by  the  south 
to  Mostaganem,  we  must  go  eastwards  to  Tenes." 

And  forthwith  they  started.  Beginning  to  feel  hungry, 
they  had  no  hesitation  in  gathering  figs,  dates,  and  oranges 
from  the  plantations  that  formed  a  continuous  rich  and 
luxuriant  orchard  along  their  path.  The  district  was  quite 
deserted,  and  they  had  no  reason  to  fear  any  legal  penalty 
for  their  depredations. 

In  an  hour  and  a  half  they  reached  the  gourbi.  Every- 
thing was  just  as  they  had  left  it,  and  it  was  evident  that 
no  one  had  visited  the  place  during  their  absence.  All 
was  desolate  as  the  shore  they  had  quitted. 

The  preparations  for  the  expedition  were  brief  and 
simple.  Ben  Zoof  saddled  the  horses  and  filled  h-g  pouch 
with  biscuits  and  game;  water,  he  felt  certain,  could  be 
obtained  in  abundance  from  the  numerous  affluents  of  the 
Shelif,  which,  although  they  had  now  become  tributaries 
of  the  Mediterranean,  still  meandered  through  the  plain. 
Captain  Servadac  mounted  his  horse  Zephyr,  and  Ben  Zoo/ 


THE  CAPTAIN    MAKES   AN   EXPLORATION.  33 


simultaneously  got  astride  his  mare  Galette,  named  after 
the  mill  of  Montmartre.  They  galloped  off  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Shelif,  and  were  not  long  in  discovering  that  the 
diminution  in  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  had  precisely 
the  same  effect  upon  their  horses  as  it  had  had  upon 
themselves.  Their  muscular  strength  seemed  five  times  as 
great  as  hitherto  ;  their  hoofs  scarcely  touched  the  ground, 
and  they  seemed  transformed  from  ordinary  quadrupeds 
into  veritable  hippogriffs.  Happily,  Servadac  and  his 
orderly  were  fearless  riders ;  they  made  no  attempt  to 
curb  their  steeds,  but  even  urged  them  to  still  greater 
exertions.  Twenty  minutes  sufficed  to  carry  them  over 
the  four  or  five  miles  that  intervened  between  the  gourbi 
and  the  mouth  of  the  Shelif ;  then,  slackening  their  speed, 
they  proceeded  at  a  more  leisurely  pace  to  the  south-east, 
along  what  had  once  been  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  but 
which,  although  it  still  retained  its  former  characteristics, 
v/as  now  the  boundary  of  a  sea,  which  extending  farther 
than  the  limits  of  the  horizon,  must  have  swallowed  up  at 
least  a  large  portion  of  the  province  of  Oran.  Captain  Ser- 
vadac knew  the  country  well ;  he  had  at  one  time  been 
engaged  upon  a  trigonometrical  survey  of  the  district,  and 
consequently  had  an  accurate  knowledge  of  its  topography. 
His  idea  now  was  to  draw  up  a  report  of  his  investi- 
gations :  to  whom  that  report  should  be  delivered  was  a 
problem  he  had  yet  to  solve. 

During  the  four  hours  of  daylight  that  still  remained. 
the  travellers  rode  about  twenty-one  miles  from  the  river 
mouth.  To  their  vast  surprise,  they  did  not  meet  a  single 
human  being.  At  nightfall  they  again  encamped  in  a 
slight  bend  of  the  shore,  at  a  point  which  on  the  previous 
evening  had  faced  the  mouth  of  the  Mina,  one  of  the  left- 
hand  affluents  of  the  Shelif,  but  now  absorbed  into  the 
newly  revealed  ocean.  Ben  Zoof  made  the  sleeping 
accommodation  as  comfortable  as  the  circumstances  would 
allow ;  the  horses  were  clogged  and  turned  out  to  feed 
upon  the  rich  pasture  that  clothed  the  shore,  and  the  night 
passed  without  special  incident. 

9 


34  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

At  sunrise  on  the  following  morning,  the  2nd  of 
January,  or  what,  according  to  the  ordinary  calendarj 
would  have  been  the  night  of  the  ist,  the  captain  and  his 
orderly  remounted  their  horses,  and  during  the  six-hours" 
day  accomplished  a  distance  of  forty-two  miles.  The 
right  bank  of  the  river  still  continued  to  be  the  margin  of 
the  land,  and  only  in  one  spot  had  its  integrity  been 
impaired.  This  was  about  twelve  miles  from  the  Mina, 
and  on  the  site  of  the  annex  or  suburb  of  Surkelmittoo. 
Here  a  large  portion  of  the  bank  had  been  swept  away, 
and  the  hamlet,  with  its  eight  hundred  inhabitants,  had  no 
doubt  been  swallowed  up  by  the  encroaching  waters.  It 
s-eemed,  therefore,  more  than  probable  that  a  similar  fate 
had  overtaken  the  larger  towns  beyond  the  Shelif,  and 
that  Mazagran,  Mostaganem,  and  Orleansville  had  all  been 
annihilated.  After  skirting  the  small  bay  thus  formed  by 
the  rupture  of  the  shore.  Captain  Servadac  found  himself 
again  upon  the  river  bank,  exactly  opposite  the  site  onc& 
occupied  by  the  mixed  community  of  Ammi-Moossa,  the 
ancient  Khamis  of  Beni-Ooragh  ;  but  not  a  vestige  of  the 
place  remained.  Even  the  Mankara  Peak,  below  which  it 
had  been  built,  and  which  was  more  than  three  thousand 
feet  in  height,  had  totally  disappeared. 

In  the  evening  the  explorers  encamped,  as  previously, 
in  a  nook  of  the  shore  which  here  abruptly  terminated  their 
new  domain,  not  far  from  where  they  might  have  expected 
to  find  the  important  village  of  Memounturroy ;  but  of 
this,  too,  there  was  now  no  trace, 

"I  had  quite  reckoned  upon  a  supper  and  a  bed  at 
Orleansville  to-night,"  said  Servadac,  as,  full  of  despond- 
ency, he  surveyed  the  drear  waste  of  water. 

"  Quite  impossible,"  replied  Ben  Zoof,  "  except  you 
had  gone  by  a  boat.  But  cheer  up,  sir,  cheer  up ;  we  wili 
soon  devise  some  means  for  getting  across  to  Mostaganem." 

"  If,  as  I  hope,"  rejoined  the  captain,  "  we  are  on  a 
peninsula,  we  are  more  likely  to  get  to  Tenes ;  there  we 
shall  hear  the  news." 

"Far    more    likely    to    carry    the    news    ourselves'* 


THE  CAPTAIN   MAKES   AN    EXPLORATION.  35 


answered  Ben  Zoof,  as  he  threw  himself  down  for  his 
night's  rest. 

Six  hours  later,  only  waiting  for  sunrise,  Captain 
Servadac  set  himself  in  movement  again  to  renew  his 
investigations.  At  the  spot  last  chosen  for  encampment, 
the  shore,  that  hitherto  had  been  running  in  a  south- 
easterly direction,  turned  abruptly  to  the  north,  being  no 
longer  formed  by  the  natural  bank  of  the  Shelif,  but  con- 
sisting of  an  absolutely  new  coast-line.  No  land  was  in 
sight.  Nothing  could  be  seen  of  Orleansville,  which  ought 
to  have  been  about  six  miles  to  the  south-west  ;  and  Ben 
Zoof,  who  had  mounted  the  highest  point  of  view  attain- 
able, could  distinguish  sea,  and  nothing  but  sea,  to  the 
farthest  horizon. 

Quitting  their  encampment  and  riding  on,  the  be- 
wildered explorers  kept  close  to  the  new  shore.  This, 
since  it  had  ceased  to  be  formed  by  the  original  river-bank, 
had  considerably  altered  its  aspect.  Frequent  landslips 
occurred,  and  in  many  places  deep  chasms  rifted  the 
ground  ;  great  gaps  furrowed  the  fields,  and  trees,  half 
uprooted,  overhung  the  water — some  old  olives  being 
especially  remarkable  by  the  fantastic  distortions  of  their 
gnarled  trunks,  looking  as  though  they  had  been  chopped 
by  a  hatchet. 

The  sinuosities  of  the  coast-line,  alternately  gully  and 
headland,  had  the  effect  of  making  a  devious  progress  for 
the  travellers,  and  at  sunset,  although  they  had  accom- 
plished more  than  twenty  miles,  they  had  only  just  arrived 
at  the  foot  of  the  Merdeyah  Mountains,  which,  before  the 
cataclysm,  had  formed  the  extremity  of  the  chain  of  the 
Little  Atlas,  The  ridge,  however,  had  been  violently 
ruptured,  and  now  rose  perpendicularly  from  the  water. 

On  the  following  morning  Servadac  and  Ben  Zoof 
traversed  one  of  the  mountain  gorges ;  and  next,  in  order 
to  make  a  more  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  limits  and 
condition  of  the  section  of  Algerian  territory  of  which 
they  seemed  to  be  left  as  the  sole  occupants,  they  dis- 
mounted, and  proceeded  on  foot  to  the  summit  of  one  of 


36  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

the  highest  peaks.  From  this  elevation  they  ascertained 
that  from  the  base  of  the  Merdeyah  to  the  Mediterranean, 
a  distance  of  about  eighteen  miles,  a  new  coast-line  had 
come  into  existence;  no  land  was  visible  in  any  direction; 
no  isthmus  existed  to  form  a  connecting  link  with  the 
territory  of  Tenes,  which  had  entirely  disappeared.  The 
result  was  that  Captain  Servadac  was  driven  to  the  irre- 
sistible conclusion  that  the  tract  of  land  which  he  had 
been  surveying  was  not,  as  he  had  at  first  imagined,  a 
peninsula ;  it  was  actually  an  island. 

Strictly  speaking,  this  island  was  quadrilateral,  but  the 
sides  were  so  irregular  that  it  was  much  more  nearly  a 
triangle,  the  comparison  of  the  sides  exhibiting  these  pro- 
portions : — The  section  of  the  right  bank  of  the  Shelif, 
seventy-two  miles  ;  the  northern  boundary  from  the  Shelif 
to  the  chain  of  the  Little  Atlas,  twenty-one  miles  ;  from 
the  Little  Atlas  to  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean,  eighteen 
miles ;  and  sixty  miles  of  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean 
itself,  making  in  all  an  entire  circumference  of  about  171 
miles. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ? "  exclaimed  the  captain,  every 
hour  growing  more  and  more  bewildered. 

"  The  will  of  Providence,  and  we  must  submit,"  replied 
Ben  Zoof,  calm  and  undisturbed. 

With  this  reflection,  the  two  men  silently  descended  the 
mountain  and  remounted  their  horses,  which  had  been 
grazing  quietly  on  the  luxuriant  herbage. 

Before  evening  the  wayfarers  had  reached  the  Mediter- 
ranean. On  their  road  they  failed  to  discern  a  vestige  of 
the  little  town  of  Montenotte  ;  like  Tenes  (of  which  not 
so  much  as  a  ruined  cottage  was  visible  on  the  horizon),  it 
seemed  to  be  annihilated. 

On  the  following  day,  the  6th  of  January,  the  two 
men  made  a  forced  march  along  the  coast  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, which  they  found  in  some  degree  less  altered 
than  the  captain  had  at  first  supposed  ;  but  four  villages, 
Callaat-Chimah,  Agniss,  Marabout,  and  Pointe-Basse,  had 
entirely  disappeared,  and  the  headlands,  unable  to  resist 


THE  CAPTAIN    MAKES   AN   EXPLORATION.  37 

the  shock  of  the  convulsion,  had  been  detached  from  the 
mainland. 

The  circuit  of  the  island  had  been  now  completed,  and 
the  explorers,  after  a  period  of  sixty  hours,  found  them- 
selves once  more  beside  the  ruins  of  their  gourbi.  Five 
days,  or  what,  according  to  the  established  order  of  things, 
would  have  been  two  days  and  a  half,  had  been  occupied 
in  tracing  the  boundaries  of  their  new  domain ;  and 
although  not  the  only  living  occupants,  inasmuch  as  herds 
of  cattle  had  been  seen,  they  had  ascertained  beyond  a 
doubt  that  they  were  the  sole  human  inhabitants  left  upon 
the  island. 

"  Well,  sir,  here  you  are,  Governor-General  of  Algeria ! " 
exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  as  they  reached  the  gourbi. 

"  With  not  a  soul  to  govern,"  gloomily  rejoined  the 
captain. 

"  How  so }     Do  you  not  reckon  me  ?** 

"  Pshaw  !  Ben  Zoof,  what  are  you  ?  " 

"  What  am  I  .-'     Why,  I  am  the  population." 

The  captain  deigned  no  reply,  but,  muttering  some 
expressions  of  regret  for  the  fruitless  trouble  he  had  taken 
about  his  rondo,  betook  himself  to  rest 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BEN   ZOOF  WATCHES  IN  VAIN. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  governor-general  and  his  population 
were  asleep.  The  gourbi  being  in  ruins,  they  were  obliged 
to  put  up  with  the  best  accommodation  they  could  find  in 
the  adjacent  erection.  It  must  be  owned  that  the  captain's 
slumbers  were  by  no  means  sound  ;  he  was  agitated  by 
the  consciousness  that  he  had  hitherto  been  unable  to 
account  for  his  strange  experiences  by  any  reasonable 
theory.  Though  far  from  being  advanced  in  the  know- 
ledge of  natural  philosophy,  he  had  been  instructed,  to  a 
certain  degree,  in  its  elementary  principles  ;  and,  by  an 
effort  of  memory,  he  managed  to  recall  some  general  laws 
which  he  had*  almost  forgotten.  He  could  understand 
that  an  altered  inclination  of  the  earth's  axis  with  regard 
to  the  ecliptic  would  introduce  a  change  of  position  in  the 
cardinal  points,  and  bring  about  a  displacement  of  the  sea  ; 
but  the  hypothesis  entirely  failed  to  account,  either  for 
the  shortening  of  the  days,  or  for  the  diminution  in  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere.  He  felt  that  his  judgment 
was  utterly  baffled ;  his  only  remaining  hope  was  that  the 
chain  of  marvels  v/as  not  yet  complete,  and  that  something 
farther  might  occur  which  would  throw  some  light  upon 
the  mystery. 

Ben  Zoofs  first  care  on  the  following  morning  was  to 
provide  a  good  breakfast.     To  use  his   own    phrase,  h? 


BEN  ZOOF  WATCHES  IN  VAIN.  39 


was  as  hungry  as  the  whole  population  of  three  million 
Algerians,  of  whom  he  was  the  representative,  and  he 
must  have  enough  to  eat  The  catastrophe  which  had 
overwhelmed  the  country  had  left  a  dozen  eggs  uninjured, 
and  upon  these,  with  a  good  dish  of  his  famous  couscous, 
he  hoped  that  he  and  his  master  might  have  a  sufficiently 
substantial  meal.  The  stove  was  ready  for  use,  the  copper 
skillet  was  as  bright  as  hands  could  make  it,  and  the  beads 
of  condensed  steam  upon  the  surface  of  a  large  stone 
alcaraza  gave  evidence  that  it  was  supplied  with  water. 
Ben  Zoof  at  once  proceeded  to  light  a  fire,  singing  all  the 
time,  according  to  his  wont,  a  snatch  of  an  old  military 
refrain — 

•*  Veal !  veal  1  is  there  any  veal. 
Enough  to  make  a  stew  ? 
Salt  1  salt !  is  there  any  salt. 
To  season  what  we  do  ?  " 

Ever  on  the  look-out  for  fresh  phenomena,  Captain 
Servadac  watched  the  preparations  with  a  curious  eye, 
It  struck  him  that  perhaps  the  air,  in  its  strangely  modified 
condition,  would  fail  to  supply  sufficient  oxygen,  and  that 
the  stove,  in  consequence,  might  not  fulfil  its  function 
But  no  ;  the  fire  was  lighted  just  as  usual,  and  fanned  into 
vigour  by  Ben  Zoof  applying  his  mouth  in  lieu  of  bellows, 
and  a  bright  flame  started  up  from  the  midst  of  the  twigs 
and  coal.  The  skillet  was  duly  set  upon  the  stove,  and 
Ben  Zoof  was  prepared  to  wait  awhile  for  the  water  to 
boil.  Taking  up  the  eggs,  he  was  surprised  to  notice  that 
they  hardly  weighed  more  than  they  would  if  they  had 
been  mere  shells  ;  but  he  was  still  more  surprised  when  he 
saw  that  before  the  water  had  been  two  minutes  over  the 
fire  it  was  at  full  boil. 

"  By  jingo  I "  he  exclaimed^  "  this  is  a  precious  hot 
fire  I " 

Servadac  reflected.     In  a  few  moments  he  said — 

"  It  cannot  be  that  the  fire  is  hotter ;  the  peculiarity 
must  be  in  the  water." 

And  taking  down  a  centigrade  thermometer,  which  he 


40  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

had  hung  upon  the  wall,  he  plunged  it  into  the  skillet 
Instead  of  ioo°,  he  found  that  the  instrument  registered 
only  66°. 

"  Take  my  advice,  Ben  Zoof,"  he  said  :  "  leave  your 
eggs  in  the  saucepan  a  good  quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  Boil  them  hard  I  That  will  never  do,"  objected  the 
orderly. 

"  You  will  not  find  them  hard,  my  good  fellow.  Trust 
me,  we  shall  be  able  to  dip  our  sippets  into  the  yolks 
easily  enough." 

The  captain  was  quite  right  in  his  conjecture,  that  this 
new  phenomenon  was  caused  by  a  diminution  in  the  pres- 
sure of  the  atmosphere.  Water  boiling  at  a  temperature 
of  66°  was  itself  an  evidence  that  the  column  of  air  above 
the  earth's  surface  had  become  reduced  by  one-third  of  its 
altitude.  The  identical  phenomenon  would  have  occurred 
at  the  summit  of  a  mountain  35,000  feet  high;  and  had 
Servadac  been  in  possession  of  a  barometer,  he  would  have 
immediately  discovered  the  fact  that  only  now  for  the  first 
time,  as  the  result  of  experiment,  revealed  itself  to  him — 
a  fact,  moreover,  which  accounted  for  the  compression  0/ 
the  blood-vessels  which  both  he  and  Ben  Zoof  had  expe 
rienced,  as  well  as  for  the  attenuation  of  their  voices  and 
their  accelerated  breathing. 

"  And  yet,"  he  argued  with  himself,  "  if  our  encamp- 
ment has  been  projected  to  so  great  an  elevation,  how  is 
it  that  the  sea  remains  at  its  proper  level  ? " 

Once  again  Hector  Servadac,  though  capable  of  tracing 
consequences,  felt  himself  totally  at  a  loss  to  comprehend 
their  cause  ;  hence  his  agitation  and  bewilderment !  Inde 
ires! 

After  their  prolonged  immersion  in  the  boiling  water, 
the  eggs  were  found  to  be  only  just  sufficiently  cooked ; 
the  couscous  was  very  much  in  the  same  condition  ;  and 
Ben  Zoof  came  to  the  conclusion  that  in  future  he  must 
be  careful  to  commence  his  culinary  operations  an  hour 
earlier  than  he  had  been  accustomed.  He  was  rejoiced 
at  last  to  help  his  master,  who,  in  spite  of  his  perplexed 


BEN   ZOOF  WATCHES  IN  VAIN.  4I 

pre-occupation,  seemed  to  have  a  very  fair  appetite  for 
breakfast. 

"Well,  captain?"  said  Ben  Zoof  presently,  such  being 
his  ordinary  way  of  opening  conversation. 

"Well,  Ben  Zoof.-*"  was  the  captain's  invariable  response 
to  his  servant's  formula. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  now,  sir  }  " 

"  We  can  only  for  the  present  wait  patiently  where  we 
are.  We  are  encamped  upon  an  island,  and  therefore  we 
can  only  be  rescued  by  sea." 

"  But  do  you  suppose  that  any  of  our  friends  are  still 
alive  .? "  asked  Ben  Zoof 

"  Oh,  I  think  we  must  indulge  the  hope  that  this 
catastrophe  has  not  extended  far.  We  must  trust  that 
it  has  limited  its  mischief  to  some  small  portion  of  the 
Algerian  coast,  and  that  our  friends  are  all  alive  and  well. 
No  doubt  the  governor-general  will  be  anxious  to  inves- 
tigate the  full  extent  of  the  damage  that  has  been  done, 
und  will  send  a  vessel  from  Algiers  to  explore.  It  is  not 
likely  that  we  shall  be  forgotten.  What,  then,  you  have 
to  do,  Ben  Zoof,  is  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out,  and  to  be 
ready,  in  case  a  vessel  should  appear,  to  make  signals  at 
once." 

*'  But  if  no  vessel  should  appear !  "  sighed  the  orderly. 

**Then  we  must  build  a  boat,  and  go  in  search  of  those 
who  do  not  come  in  search  of  us." 

"  Very  good,  captain.  But  what  sort  of  a  sailor  are 
you?" 

"Every  one  can  be  a  sailor  when  he  must,"  said  Servadac 
calmly. 

Ben  Zoof  said  no  more.  For  several  succeeding  days 
he  scanned  the  horizon  unintermittently  with  his  tele- 
scope. PI  is  watching  was  all  in  vain.  No  ship  appeared 
upon  the  desert  sea. 

"  By  the  name  of  a  Kabyle  !  "  he  broke  out  impatiently, 
"  his  Excellency  is  grossly  negligent !  " 

Although  the  days  and  nights  had  become  reduced 
from  twenty-four  hours  to  twelve.  Captain  Servadac  would 


42  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

not  accept  the  new  condition  of  things,  but  resolved  to 
adhere  to  the  computations  of  the  old  calendar.  Notwith- 
standing, therefore,  that  the  sun  had  risen  and  set  twelve 
times  since  the  commencement  of  the  new  year,  he  per- 
sisted in  calling  the  following  day  the  6th  of  January. 
His  watch  enabled  him  to  keep  an  accurate  account  of 
the  passing  hours.  On  a  pendulum  clock,  the  diminution 
of  atmospheric  pressure  would  no  doubt  have  caused  a 
large  disturbance ;  but  the  spring  of  a  good  watch  would 
be  insensibly  affected  by  the  change  of  condition,  and, 
once  regulated  to  the  new  physical  status,  might  be  ex- 
pected to  act  with  fair  precision. 

In  the  course  of  his  life,  Ben  Zoof  had  read  a  few 
books.     After  sitting  pondering  one  day,  he  said — 

*'  It  seerps  to  me,  captain,  that  you  have  turned  into 
Robinson  Crusoe,  and  that  I  am  your  man  Friday.  I  hope 
I  have  not  become  a  nigger." 

"  No,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Your  complexion  isn't  the 
fairest  in  the  world,  but  you  are  not  a  nigger  yet." 

"Well,  I  had  much  sooner  be  a  white  Friday  than  a 
black  one,"  rejoined  Ben  Zoof. 

Still  no  ship  appeared  ;  and  Captain  Servadac,  after 
the  example  of  all  previous  Crusoes,  began  to  consider 
it  advisable  to  investigate  the  resources  of  his  domain. 
The  new  territory  of  which  he  had  become  the  monarch 
he  named  Gourbi  Island.  It  had  a  superficial  area  ot 
about  nine  hundred  square  miles.  Bullocks,  cows,  goats, 
and  sheep  existed  in  considerable  numbers ;  and  as  there 
seemed  already  to  be  an  abundance  of  game,  it  was  hardly 
likely  that  a  future  supply  would  fail  them.  The  condition 
of  the  cereals  was  such  as  to  promise  a  fine  ingathering  of 
wheat,  maize,  and  rice ;  so  that  for  the  governor  and  his 
population,  with  their  two  horses,  not  only  was  there  ample 
provision,  but  even  if  other  human  inhabitants  besides 
themselves  should  yet  be  discovered,  there  was  not  the 
remotest  prospect  of  any  of  them  perishing  by  starvation. 

From  the  6th  to  the  13th  of  January  the  rain  camo 
down  in  torrents  ;  and,  what  was  quite  an  unusual  occur 


BEN   ZOOF  WATCHES   IN   VAIN.  43 

rence  at  this  season  of  the  year,  several  heavy  storms 
broke  over  the  island.  In  spite,  however,  of  the  continual 
downfall,  the  heavens  still  remained  veiled  in  cloud. 
Servadac,  moreover,  did  not  fail  to  observe  that  for  the 
season  the  temperature  was  unusually  high ;  and,  as  a 
matter  still  more  surprising,  that  it  kept  steadily  increas- 
ing, as  though  the  earth  were  gradually  and  continuously 
approximating  to  the  sun.  In  proportion  to  the  rise  of 
temperature,  the  light  also  assumed  greater  intensity  ;  and 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  screen  of  vapour  interposed 
between  the  sky  and  the  island,  the  irradiation  which 
would  have  illumined  all  terrestrial  objects  would  have 
been  vivid  beyond  all  precedent 

But  neither  sun,  moon,  nor  star  ever  appeared  ;  and 
Servadac's  irritation  and  annoyance  at  being  unable  to 
identify  any  one  point  of  the  firmament  may  be  more 
readily  imagined  than  described.  On  one  occasion  Ben 
Zoof  endeavoured  to  mitigate  his  master's  impatience  by 
exhorting  him  to  assume  the  resignation,  even  if  he  did 
not  feel  the  indifference,  which  he  himself  experienced  ; 
but  his  advice  was  received  with  so  angry  a  rebuff  that 
he  retired  in  all  haste,  abashed,  to  resume  his  watchman's 
duty,  which  he  performed  with  exemplary  perseverance. 
Day  and  night,  with  the  shortest  possible  intervals  of  rest, 
despite  wind,  rain,  and  storm,  he  mounted  guard  upon 
the  cliff — but  all  in  vain.  Not  a  speck  appeared  upon  the 
desolate  horizon.  To  say  the  truth,  no  vessel  could  have 
stood  against  the  weather.  The  hurricane  raged  with 
tremendous  fury,  and  the  waves  rose  to  a  height  that 
seemed  to  defy  calculation.  Never,  even  in  the  second 
era  of  creation,  when,  under  the  influence  of  internal  heat, 
the  waters  rose  in  vapour  to  descend  in  deluge  back  upon 
the  world,  could  meteorological  phenomena  have  been 
developed  with  more  impressive  intensity. 

But  by  the  night  of  the  13th  the  tempest  appeared  to 
have  spent  its  fury  ;  the  wind  dropped  ;  the  rain  ceased  as 
if  by  a  spell  ;  and  Servadac,  who  for  the  last  six  days  had 
confined  himself  to  the  shelter  of  his  roof,  hastened  to  join 


44  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


Ben  Zoof  at  his  post  upon  the  cliff.  Now,  he  thought,  there 
might  be  a  chance  of  solving  his  perplexity  ;  perhaps  now 
the  huge  disc,  of  which  he  had  had  an  imperfect  glimpse 
on  the  night  of  the  31st  of  December,  might  again  reveal 
itself ;  at  any  rate,  he  hoped  for  an  opportunity  of  observ- 
ing the  constellations  in  a  clear  firmament  above. 

The  night  was  magnificent.  Not  a  cloud  dimmed  the 
lustre  of  the  stars,  which  spangled  the  heavens  in  surpassing 
brilliancy,  and  several  nebulae  which  hitherto  no  astronomer 
had  been  able  to  discern  without  the  aid  of  a  telescope 
were  clearly  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

By  a  natural  impulse,  Servadac's  first  thought  was  to 
observe  the  position  of  the  pole-star.  It  was  in  sight,  but 
so  near  to  the  horizon  as  to  suggest  the  utter  impossibility 
of  its  being  any  longer  the  central  pivot  of  the  siderial 
system  ;  it  occupied  a  position  through  which  it  was  out  of 
the  question  that  the  axis  of  the  earth  indefinitely  pro- 
longed could  ever  pass.  In  his  impression  he  was  mor* 
thoroughly  confirmed  when,  an  hour  later,  he  noticed  that 
the  star  had  sensibly  approached  still  nearer  the  horizon, 
as  though  it  had  belonged  to  one  of  the  zodiacal  constella- 
tions. 

The  pole-star  being  manifestly,  thus  displaced,  it 
remained  to  be  discovered  whether  any  other  of  the 
celestial  bodies  had  become  a  fixed  centre  around  which 
the  constellations  made  their  apparent  daily  revolutions. 
To  the  solution  of  this  problem  Servadac  applied  himself 
with  the  most  thoughtful  diligence.  After  patient  obser- 
vation, he  satisfied  himself  that  the  required  conditions 
were  answered  by  a  certain  star  that  was  stationary  not  far 
from  the  horizon.  This  was  Vega,  in  the  constellation 
Lyra,  a  star  which,  according  to  the  precession  of  the  equi- 
noxes, will  take  the  place  of  our  pole-star  12,000  years 
hence.  The  most  daring  imagination  could  not  suppose 
that  a  period  of  12,000  years  had  been  crowded  into  the 
space  of  a  fortnight ;  and  therefore  the  captain  came,  as  to 
an  easier  conclusion,  to  the  opinion  that  the  earth's  axis 
had  been  suddenly  and  immensely  shifted  ;  and  from  the 


BEN   ZOOF  WATCHES   IN   VAIN.  45 

fact  that  the  axis,  if  produced,  would  pass  through  a  point 
so  httle  removed  above  the  horizon,  he  deduced  the  in- 
ference that  the  Mediterranean  must  have  been  transported 
to  the  Equator. 

Lost  in  bewildering  maze  of  thought,  he  gazed  long  and 
intently  upon  the  heavens.  His  eyes  wandered  from  where 
the  tail  of  the  Great  Bear,  now  a  zodiacal  constellation, 
was  scarcely  visible  above  the  waters,  to  where  the  stars  of 
the  southern  hemisphere  were  just  breaking  on  his  view. 
A  cry  from  Ben  Zoof  recalled  him  to  himself 

"  The  moon!"  shouted  the  orderly,  as  though  overjoyed 
at  once  again  beholding  what  the  poet  has  called — 

"  The  kind  companion  of  terrestrial  night ; " 

and  he  pointed  to  a  disc  that  was  rising  at  a  spot  precisely 
opposite  the  place  where  they  would  have  expected  to  see 
the  sun. 

"  The  moon  !  "  again  he  cried. 

But  Captain  Servadac  could  not  altogether  enter  into 
his  servant's  enthusiasm.  If  this  were  actually  the  moon, 
her  distance  from  the  earth  must  have  been  increased  by 
some  millions  of  miles.  He  was  rather  disposed  to  suspect 
that  it  was  not  the  earth's  satellite  at  all,  but  some  planet 
with  its  apparent  magnitude  greatly  enlarged  by  its  ap- 
proximation to  the  earth.  Taking  up  the  powerful  field- 
glass  which  he  was  accustomed  to  use  in  his  surveying 
operations,  he  proceeded  to  investigate  more  carefully  the 
character  of  the  luminous  orb.  But  he  failed  to  trace  any 
of  the  lineaments,  supposed  to  resemble  a  human  face,  that 
mark  the  lunar  surface  ;  he  failed  to  decipher  any  indica- 
tions of  hill  and  plain  ;  nor  could  he  make  out  the  aureole 
of  light  which  emanates  from  what  astronomers  have 
designated  Mount  Tycho. 

"  It  is  not  the  moon,"  he  said,  slowly. 

«  Not  the  moon  ?"  cried  Ben  Zoof    "  Why  not  ?" 

**  It  is  not  the  moon,"  again  affirmed  the  captain. 

**  Why  not  ?"  repeated  Ben  Zoof,  unwilling  to  renounce 
his  first  impression. 


4.6  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

**  Because  there  is  a  small  satellite  in  attendance." 

And  the  captain  drew  his  servant's  attention  to  a  bright 
speck  (apparently  about  the  size  of  one  of  Jupiter'?, 
satellites  seen  through  a  moderate  telescope)  that  was 
dearly  visible  just  within  the  focus  of  his  glass. 

Here,  then,  was  a  fresh  mystery.  The  orbit  of  the 
planet  was  assuredly  interior  to  the  orbit  of  the  earth, 
because  it  accompanied  the  sun  in  its  apparent  motion  ; 
yet  it  was  neither  Mercury  nor  Venus,  because  neither  one 
nor  the  other  of  these  has  any  satellite  at  all. 

The  captain  stamped  and  stamped  again  with  mingled 
vexation,  agitation,  and  bewilderment. 

"  Confound  it !"  he  cried,  "  if  this  is  neither  Venus  nor 
Mercury,  it  must  be  the  moon  ;  but  if  it  is  the  moon, 
Kvhence,  in  the  name  of  all  the  gods,  has  she  picked  up 
another  moon  for  herself?" 

The  captain  was  in  dire  perplex!^., 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

VENUS  IN   PERILOUS   PROXIMITV. 

The  light  of  the  returning  sun  soon  extinguished  the  glory 
of  the  stars,  and  rendered  it  necessary  for  the  captain  to 
postpone  his  observations  until  future  cloudless  nights. 
He  had  sought  in  vain  for  further  trace  of  the  huge  disc 
that  had  so  excited  his  wonder  on  the  1st,  and  it  seemed 
most  probable  that,  in  its  irregular  orbit,  it  had  been  carried 
beyond  the  range  of  vision. 

The  weather  was  still  superb.  The  wind,  after  veering 
to  the  west,  had  sunk  to  a  perfect  calm.  Pursuing  its 
inverted  course,  the  sun  rose  and  set  with  undeviating 
regularity  ;  and  the  days  and  nights  were  still  divided  into 
periods  of  precisely  six  hours  each — a  sure  proof  that  the 
sun  remained  close  to  the  new  equator  which  manifestly 
passed  through  Gourbi  Island. 

Meanwhile  the  temperature  was  steadily  increasing. 
The  captain  kept  his  thermometer  close  at  hand  where  he 
could  repeatedly  consult  it,  and  on  the  15th  he  found  that 
it  registered  50°  centigrade  in  the  shade. 

No  attempt  had  been  made  to  rebuild  the  gourbi,  but 
the  captain  and  Ben  Zoof  managed  to  make  up  quarters 
sufficiently  comfortable  in  the  principal  apartment  of  the 
adjoining  structure,  where  the  stone  walls,  that  at  first 
afforded  a  refuge  from  the  torrents  of  rain,  now  formed  an 
equally  acceptable  shelter  from  the  burning  sun.  The  heat 
was  becoming  insufferable,  surpassing  the  heat  of  Senegal 


48  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

and  other  equatorial  regions  ;  not  a  cloud  ever  tempered 
the  intensity  of  the  solar  rays;  and  unless  some  modification 
ensued,  it  seemed  inevitable  that  all  vegetation  should 
become  scorched  and  burnt  off  from  the  face  of  the  island. 

In  spite,  however,  of  the  profuse  perspirations  from 
which  he  suffered,  Ben  Zoof,  constant  to  his  principles, 
expressed  no  surprise  at  the  unwonted  heat.  No  remon- 
strances from  his  master  could  induce  him  to  abandon 
his  watch  from  the  cliff.  To  withstand  the  vertical  beams 
of  that  noontide  sun  would  seem  to  require  a  skin  of  brass 
and  a  brain  of  adamant  ;  but  yet,  hour  after  hour,  he 
would  remain  conscientiously  scanning  the  surface  of  the 
Mediterranean,  which,  calm  and  deserted,  lay  outstretched 
before  him.  On  one  occasion  Servadac,  in  reference  to 
his  orderly's  indomitable  perseverance,  happened  to  remark 
that  he  thought  he  must  have  been  born  on  the  banks  of 
the  Gaboon,  in  the  heart  of  equatorial  Africa  ;  to  which 
Ben  Zoof  replied,  with  the  utmost  dignity,  that  he  was 
born  at  Montmartre,  which  was  all  the  same.  The  worthy 
fellow  was  unwilling  to  own  that,  even  in  the  matter  of 
heat,  the  tropics  could  in  any  way  surpass  his  own  much- 
loved  home. 

This  unprecedented  temperature  very  soon  began  to 
take  effect  upon  the  products  of  the  soil.  The  sap  rose 
rapidly  in  the  trees,  so  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  days 
buds,  leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit  had  come  to  full  maturity. 
It  was  the  same  with  the  cereals :  wheat  and  maize 
sprouted  and  ripened  as  if  by  magic,  and  for  a  while  a 
rank  and  luxuriant  pasturage  clothed  the  meadows. 
Summer  and  autumn  seemed  blended  into  one.  If 
Captain  Servadac  had  been  more  deeply  versed  in  astro- 
nomy, he  would  perhaps  have  been  able  to  bring  to  bear 
his  knowledge  that  if  the  axis  of  the  earth,  as  everything 
seemed  to  indicate,  now  formed  a  right  angle  with  the 
plane  of  the  ecliptic,  her  various  seasons,  like  those  of  the 
planet  Jupiter,  would  become  limited  to  certain  zones,  in 
which  they  would  remain  invariable.  But  even  if  he  had 
understood  the  rationale  of   the   change,  the   convulsion 


VENUS   IN    PERILOUS    PROXIMITY.  49 


that  had  brought  it  about  would  have  been  as  much  a 
mystery  as  ever. 

The  precocity  of  vegetation  caused  some  embarrass- 
ment The  time  for  the  corn  and  fruit  harvest  had  fallen 
simultaneously  with  that  of  the  hay-making  ;  and  as  the 
extreme  heat  precluded  any  prolonged  exertions,  it  was 
evident  "  the  population  "  of  the  island  would  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  provide  the  necessary  amount  of  labour.  Not  that 
the  prospect  gave  them  much  concern  :  the  provisions 
of  the  gourbi  were  still  far  from  exhausted,  and  now  that 
the  roughness  of  the  weather  had  so  happily  subsided, 
they  had  every  encouragement  to  hope  that  a  ship  of  some 
sort  would  soon  appear.  Not  only  was  that  part  of  the 
Mediterranean  systematically  frequented  by  the  govern- 
ment steamers  that  watched  the  coast,  but  vessels  of  all 
nations  were  constantly  cruising  off  the  shore. 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  their  sanguine  speculations,  no 
ship  appeared.  Ben  Zoof  admitted  the  necessity  of  ex- 
temporizing a  kind  of  parasol  for  himself,  otherwise  he 
must  literally  have  been  roasted  to  death  upon  the  exposed 
summit  of  the  cliffl 

Meanwhile,  Servadac  was  doing  his  utmost — it  must 
be  acknowledged,  with  indifferent  success — to  recall  the 
lessons  of  his  school-days.  He  would  plunge  into  the 
wildest  speculations  in  his  endeavours  to  unravel  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  new  situation,  and  struggled  into  a  kind  of 
conviction  that  if  there  had  been  a  change  of  manner  in 
the  earth's  rotation  on  her  axis,  there  would  be  a  corre- 
sponding change  in  her  revolution  round  the  sun,  which 
would  involve  the  consequence  of  the  length  of  the  year 
being  either  diminished  or  increased. 

Independently  of  the  increased  and  increasing  heat, 
there  was  another  very  conclusive  demonstration  that  the 
earth  had  thus  suddenly  approximated  towards  the  sun. 
The  diameter  of  the  solar  disc  was  now  exactly  twice  what 
it  ordinarily  looks  to  the  naked  eye ;  in  fact,  it  was  pre- 
cisely such  as  it  would  appear  to  an  observer  on  the  surface 
of  the  planet  Venus.     The  most  obvious  inference  would 

E 


so  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


therefore  be  that  the  earth's  distance  from  the  sun  had 
been  diminished  from  91,000,000  to  66,000,000  miles.  If 
the  just  equilibrium  of  the  earth  had  thus  been  destroyed, 
and  should  this  diminution  of  distance  still  continue,  would 
there  not  be  reason  to  fear  that  the  terrestrial  world  would 
be  carried  onwards  to  actual  contact  with  the  sun,  which 
must  result  in  its  total  annihilation  ? 

The  continuance  of  the  splendid  weather  afforded 
Servadac  every  facility  for  observing  the  heavens.  Night 
after  night,  constellations  in  their  beauty  lay  stretched 
before  his  eyes — an  alphabet  which,  to  his  mortification, 
not  to  say  his  rage,  he  was  unable  to  decipher.  In  the 
apparent  dimensions  of  the  fixed  stars,  in  their  distance, 
in  their  relative  position  with  regard  to  each  other,  he  could 
observe  no  change.  Although  it  is  established  that  our 
sun  is  approaching  the  constellation  of  Hercules  at  the 
rate  of  more  than  126,000,000  miles  a  year,  and  although 
Arcturus  is  travelling  through  space  at  the  rate  of  fifty-four 
miles  a  second — three  times  faster  than  the  earth  goes 
round  the  sun, — ^yet  such  is  the  remoteness  of  those  stars 
that  no  appreciable  change  is  evident  to  the  senses.  The 
fixed  stars  taught  him  nothing. 

Far  otherwise  was  it  with  the  planets.  The  orbits  of 
Venus  and  Mercury  are  within  the  orbit  of  the  earth, 
Venus  rotating  at  an  average  distance  of  66,130,000  miles 
from  the  sun,  and  Mercury  at  that  of  35,393,000.  After 
pondering  long,  and  as  profoundly  as  he  could,  upon  these 
figures,  Captain  Servadac  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  as 
the  earth  was  now  receiving  about  double  the  amount  of 
light  and  heat  that  it  had  been  receiving  before  the  cata- 
strophe, it  was  receiving  about  the  same  as  the  planet 
Venus ;  he  was  driven,  therefore,  to  the  estimate  of  the 
measure  in  which  the  earth  must  have  approximated  to 
the  sun,  a  deduction  in  which  he  was  confirmed  when  the 
opportunity  came  for  him  to  observe  Venus  herself  in  the 
splendid  proportions  that  she  now  assumed. 

That  magnificent  planet  which — as  Phosphorus  or  Luci- 
fer, Hesperus  or  Vesper,  the  evening   star,  the  morning 


VENUS   IN    PERILOUS   PROXIMITY.  $1 

Star,  or  the  shepherd's  star — has  never  failed  to  attract  the 
rapturous  admiration  of  the  most  indifferent  observers, 
here  revealed  herself  with  unprecedented  glory,  exhibiting 
all  the  phases  of  a  lustrous  moon  in  miniature.  Various 
indentations  in  the  outline  of  its  crescent  showed  that  the 
solar  beams  were  refracted  into  regions  of  its  surface  where 
the  sun  had  already  set,  and  proved,  beyond  a  doubt,  that 
the  planet  had  an  atmosphere  of  her  own  ;  and  certain 
luminous  points  projecting  from  the  crescent  as  plainly 
marked  the  existence  of  mountains — mountains  to  which 
Schroeter  has  assigned  an  altitude  ten  times  greater  than 
that  of  Mont  Blanc,  being  xTi^h  part  of  the  radius  of  the 
planet.* 

As  the  result  of  Servadac's  computations,  he  formed  the 
opinion  that  Venus  could  hirdly  be  at  a  greater  distance 
than  6,000,000  miles  from  the  earth. 

"And  a  very  safe  distance,  too,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  when 
his  master  told  him  the  conclusion  at  which  he  had  arrived. 

"All  very  well  for  two  armies,  but  for  a  couple  of 
planets  not  quite  so  safe,  perhaps,  as  you  may  imagine. 
It  is  my  impression  that  it  is  more  than  likely  we  may  run 
foul  of  Venus,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Plenty  of  air  and  water  there,  sir  ? "  inquired  the 
orderly. 

"  Yes  ;  as  far  as  I  can  tell,  plenty,"  replied  Servadac. 

"  Then  why  shouldn't  we  go  and  visit  Venus .''  " 

Servadac  did  his  best  to  explain  that  as  the  two  planets 
were  of  about  equal  volume,  and  were  travelling  with  great 
velocity  in  opposite  directions,  any  collision  between  them 
must  be  attended  with  the  most  disastrous  consequences 
to  one  or  both  of  them.  But  Ben  Zoof  failed  to  see  that, 
even  at  the  worst,  the  catastrophe  could  be  much  more 
serious  than  the  collision  of  two  railway  trains. 

The  captain  became  fairly  exasperated. 

"  You   idiot !  "    he   angrily    exclaimed  ;    "  cannot   you 


•  The  highest  mountains  on  the  earth  do  not  exceed  rrrj^h  part  of  th* 
earth's  radius. 


$2  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

understand  that  the  planets  are  travelh'ng  a  thousand  times 
faster  than  the  fastest  express,  and  that  if  they  meet| 
either  one  or  the  other  must  be  destroyed  ?  What  would 
become  of  your  darling  Montmartre  then  ?  " 

The  captain  had  touched  a  tender  chord.  For  a  mo- 
ment Ben  Zoof  stood  with  clenched  teeth  and  contracted 
muscles ;  then,  in  a  voice  of  real  concern,  he  inquired 
whether  anything  could  be  done  to  avert  the  calamity. 

"  Nothing  whatever ;  so  you  may  go  about  your  own 
business,"  was  the  captain's  brusque  rejoinder. 

All  discomfited  and  bewildered,  Ben  Zoof  retired 
without  a  word. 

During  the  ensuing  days  the  distance  between  the  two 
planets  continued  to  decrease,  and  it  became  more  and 
more  obvious  that  the  earth,  on  her  new  orbit,  was  about 
to  cross  the  orbit  of  Venus. 

Throughout  this  time  the  earth  had  been  making  a 
perceptible  approach  towards  Mercury,  and  that  planet — 
which  is  rarely  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  then  only  at 
what  are  termed  the  periods  of  its  greatest  eastern  and 
western  elongations — now  appeared  in  all  its  splendour. 
It  amply  justified  the  epithet  of  "sparkling"  which  the 
ancients  were  accustomed  to  confer  upon  it,  and  could 
scarcely  fail  to  awaken  a  new  interest.  The  periodic 
recurrence  of  its  phases  ;  its  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays, 
shedding  upon  it  a  light  and  a  heat  seven  times  greater 
than  that  received  by  the  earth  ;  its  glacial  and  its  torrid 
zones,  which,  on  account  of  the  great  inclination  of  the 
axis,  are  scarcely  separable ;  its  equatorial  bands ;  its 
mountains  eleven  miles  high; — were  all  subjects  of  observa- 
tion worthy  of  the  most  studious  regard. 

But  no  danger  was  to  be  apprehended  from  Mercury  ; 
with  Venus  only  did  collision  appear  imminent.  By  the 
i8th  of  January  the  distance  between  that  planet  and  the 
earth  had  become  reduced  to  between  two  and  three  mil- 
lions of  miles,  and  the  intensity  of  its  light  had  cast  heavy 
shadows  from  all  terrestrial  objects.  It  might  be  observed 
to  turn  upon  its  own  axis  in  twenty-three  hours  twenty-one 


VENUS  IN   PERILOUS   PROXIMITY.  53 


minutes — an  evidence,  from  the  unaltered  duration  of  its 
days  that  the  planet  had  not  shared  in  the  disturbance. 
On  its  disc  the  clouds  formed  from  its  atmospheric  vapour 
were  plainly  perceptible,  as  also  were  the  seven  spots, 
which,  according  to  Bianchini,  are  a  chain  of  seas.  It  was 
now  visible  in  broad  daylight.  Buonaparte,  when  under 
the  Directory,  once  had  his  attention  called  to  Venus  at 
noon,  and  immediately  hailed  it  joyfully,  recognizing  it  as 
his  own  peculiar  star  in  the  ascendant.  Captain  Servadac, 
it  may  well  be  imagined,  did  not  experience  the  same 
gratifying  emotion. 

On  the  20th,  the  distance  between  the  two  bodies  had 
again  sensibly  diminished.  The  captain  had  ceased  to  be 
surprised  that  no  vessel  had  been  sent  to  rescue  himself 
and  his  companion  from  their  strange  imprisonment  ;  the 
governor-general  and  the  minister  of  war  were  doubtless 
iar  differently  occupied,  and  their  interests  far  otherwise 
engrossed.  What  sensational  articles,  he  thought,  must 
now  be  teeming  to  the  newspapers !  What  crowds  must 
be  flocking  to  the  churches !  The  end  of  the  world 
approaching !  the  great  climax  close  at  hand  !  Two  days 
more,  and  the  earth,  shivered  into  a  myriad  atoms,  would 
be  lost  in  boundless  space  i 

These  dire  forebodings,  however,  were  not  destined  to 
be  realized.  Gradually  the  distance  between  the  two 
planets  began  to  increase  ;  the  planes  of  their  orbits  did 
not  coincide,  and  accordingly  the  dreaded  catastrophe  did 
not  ensue.  By  the  25th,  Venus  was  sufficiently  remote  to 
preclude  any  further  fear  of  collision.  Ben  Zoof  gave  a 
sigh  of  relief  when  the  captain  communicated  the  glad 
intelligence. 

Their  proximity  to  Venus  had  been  close  enough  to 
demonstrate  that  beyond  a  doubt  that  planet  has  no  moon 
or  satellite  such  as  Cassini,  Short.  Montaigne  of  Limoges, 
Montbarron,  and  some  other  astronomers  have  imagined 
to  exist. 

"  Had  there  been  such  a  satellite,"  said  Servadac,  "  we 
might  have  captured  it  in  passmg.     But  what  can  be  the 


54  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

meaning,"  he  added  seriously,  "  of  all  this  displacement  oi 
the  heavenly  bodies  ?  " 

"  What  is  that  great  building  at  Paris,  captain,  with  a 
top  like  a  cap  ? "  asked  Ben  Zoof. 

"  Do  you  mean  the  Observatory  ?  " 

"  Yes,  the  Observatory,  Are  there  not  people  living  in 
the  Obseivatory  who  could  explain  all  this  ? " 

"  Ver}^  likely  ;  but  what  of  that  ?  " 

"  Let  us  be  philosophers,  and  wait  patiently  until  we 
can  hear  their  explanation." 

Servadac  smiled. 

"  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  be  a  philosopher,  Ben 
Zoof.?"  he  asked. 

"  I  am  a  soldier,  sir,"  was  the  servant's  prompt  re- 
joinder, "  and  I  have  learnt  to  know  that  '  what  can't  be 
cured  must  be  endured.'  " 

The  captain  made  no  reply,  but  for  a  time,  at  least,  he 
desisted  from  puzzling  himself  over  matters  which  he  felt 
he  was  utterly  incompetent  to  explain.  But  an  event  soon 
afterwards  occurred  which  awakened  his  keenest  interest  as 
likely  to  influence  his  future  proceedings. 

About  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  Ben 
Zoof  walked  deliberately  into  his  master's  apartment,  and, 
in  reply  to  a  question  as  to  what  he  wanted,  announced 
with  the  utmost  composure  that  a  ship  was  in  sight. 

"  A  ship  ! "  exclaimed  Servadac,  starting  to  his  feet. 
"  A  ship !  Ben  Zoof,  you  donkey !  you  speak  as  uncon- 
cernedly as  though  you  were  telling  me  that  my  dinner 
was  ready." 

"Are  we  not  philosophers,  captain.''"  said  the  orderly 

But  the  captain  was  out  of  hearing. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

INQUIRIES  UNSATISFIED. 

Fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  Servadac  had  made  his 
way  to  the  top  of  the  cliff.  It  was  quite  true  that  a  vessel 
was  in  sight,  hardly  more  than  six  miles  from  the  shore ; 
but  owing  to  the  increase  in  the  earth's  convexity,  and  the 
consequent  limitation  of  the  range  of  vision,  the  rigging  of 
the  topmasts  alone  was  visible  above  the  water.  This  was 
enough,  however,  to  indicate  that  the  ship  was  a  schooner 
— an  impression  that  was  confirmed  when,  two  hours  later, 
she  came  entirely  in  sight 

"The  Dobryna!  "  exclaimed  Servadac,  keeping  his  eye 
unmoved  at  his  telescope. 

"Impossible,  sir!"  rejoined  Ben  Zoof;  "there  are  no 
signs  of  smoke." 

"  The  Dobryna r  repeated  the  captain,  positively.  "She 
is  under  sail  ,  but  that  schooner  is  Count  Timascheff's 
yacht" 

He  was  right.  If  the  count  were  on  board,  a  strangf 
fatality  was  bringing  him  to  the  presence  of  his  rival.  But 
no  longer  now  could  Servadac  regard  him  in  the  lights 
of  an  adversary ;  circumstances  had  changed,  and  all 
animosity  was  absorbed  in  the  eagerness  with  which  he 
hailed  the  prospect  of  obtaining  some  information  about 
the  recent  startling  and  inexplicable  events.  During  the 
twenty-seven  days  that  she  had  been  absent,  the  Dobryna, 
he  conjectured,  would  have  explored  the  Mediterranean, 


56  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


would  very  probably  have  visited  Spain,  France,  or  Italy, 
and  accordingly  would  convey  to  Gourbi  Island  some 
intelligence  from  one  or  other  of  those  countries.  He 
reckoned,  therefore,  not  only  upon  ascertaining  the  extent 
li  the  late  catastrophe,  but  upon  learning  its  cause.  Count 
Timascheff  was,  no  doubt,  magnanimously  coming  to  the 
'  rescue  of  himself  and  his  orderly. 

The  wind  being  adverse,  the  Dobryna  did  not  make 
very  rapid  progress  ;  but  as  the  weather,  in  spite  of  a  few 
clouds,  remained  calm,  and  the  sea  was  quite  smooth,  she 
was  enabled  to  hold  a  steady  course.  It  seemed  unac- 
countable that  she  should  not  use  her  engine,  as  whoever 
was  on  board  would  be  naturally  impatient  to  reconnoitre 
the  new  island,  which  must  just  have  come  within  their 
view.  The  probability  that  suggested  itself  was  that  the 
schooner's  fuel  was  exhausted. 

Servadac  took  it  for  granted  that  the  Dobryna  was 
endeavouring  to  put  in.  It  occurred  to  him,  however,  that 
the  count,  on  discovering  an  island  where  he  had  expected 
to  find  the  mainland  of  Africa,  would  not  unlikely  be  at  a 
loss  for  a  place  of  anchorage.  The  yacht  was  evidently 
making  her  way  in  the  direction  of  the  former  mouth  of 
the  Shelif,  and  the  captain  was  struck  with  the  idea  that 
he  would  do  well  to  investigate  whether  there  was  any 
suitable  mooring  towards  which  he  might  signal  her. 
Zephyr  and  Galette  were  soon  saddled,  and  in  twenty 
minutes  had  carried  their  riders  to  the  western  extremity 
of  the  island,  where  they  both  dismounted  and  began  to 
explore  the  coast. 

They  were  not  long  in  ascertaining  that  on  the  farther 
side  of  the  point  there  was  a  small  well-sheltered  creek 
of  sufficient  depth  to  accommodate  a  vessel  of  moderate 
tonnage.  A  narrow  channel  formed  a  passage  through 
the  ridge  of  rocks  that  protected  it  from  the  open  sea,  and 
which,  even  in  the  roughest  weather,  would  ensure  the 
calmness  of  its  waters. 

Whilst  examining  the  rocky  shore,  the  captain  observed, 
to  his  great  surprise,  long  and  well-defined  rows  of  seaweed, 


"Before  we  speak  one  other  word,  tell  me  what  has  happened." 


INQUIRIES   UNSATISFIED.  57 


which  undoubtedly  betokened  that  there  had  been  a  very 
considerable  ebb  and  flow  of  the  waters — a  thing  unknown 
in  the  Mediterranean,  where  there  is  scarcely  any  per- 
ceptible tide.  What,  however,  seemed  most  remarkable, 
was  the  manifest  evidence  that  ever  since  the  highest  flood 
(which  was  caused,  in  all  probability,  by  the  proximity  of 
the  body  of  which  the  huge  disc  had  been  so  conspicuous 
on  the  night  of  the  31st  of  December)  the  phenomenon 
had  been  gradually  lessening,  and  in  fact  was  now  reduced 
to  the  normal  limits  which  had  characterized  it  before  the 
convulsion. 

Without  doing  more  than  note  the  circumstance, 
Servadac  turned  his  entire  attention  to  the  Dobryna,  which, 
now  little  more  than  a  mile  from  shore,  could  not  fail  to 
see  and  understand  his  signals.  Slightly  changing  her 
course,  she  first  struck  her  mainsail,  and,  in  order  to  facilitate 
the  movements  of  her  helmsman,  soon  carried  nothing  but 
her  two  topsails,  brigantine  and  jib.  After  rounding  the 
peak,  she  steered  direct  for  the  channel  to  which  Servadac 
by  his  gestures  was  pointing  her,  and  was  not  long  in 
entering  the  creek.  As  soon  as  the  anchor,  imbedded  in 
the  sandy  bottom,  had  made  good  its  hold,  a  boat  was 
lowered.  In  a  few  minutes  more  Count  Timascheff  had 
landed  on  the  island.  Captain  Servadac  hastened  towards 
him. 

"  First  of  all,  count,"  he  exclaimed  impetuously,  "before 
we  speak  one  other  word,  tell  me  what  has  happened." 

The  count,  v/hose  imperturbable  composure  presented 
a  singular  contrast  to  the  French  officer's  enthusiastic 
vivacity,  made  a  stiff"  bow,  and  in  his  Russian  accent 
replied  : 

"  First  of  all,  permit  me  to  express  my  surprise  at 
seeing  you  here.  I  left  you  on  a  continent,  and  here  I 
have  the  honour  of  finding  you  on  an  island." 

"  I  assure  you,  count,  I  have  never  left  the  place." 

"I  am  quite  aware  of  it.  Captain  Servadac,  and  I  now 
beg  to  offer  you  my  sincere  apologies  for  failing  to  keep 
my  appointment  with  you." 


58  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

"Never  mind,  now,"  interposed  the  captain,  hastily; 
"  we  will  talk  of  that  by-and-by.  First,  tell  me  what  has 
happened." 

"  The  very  question  I  was  about  to  put  to  you,  Captain 
Servadac." 

"  Do  you  mean,  then,  to  say  that  you  know  nothing  of 
the  cause,  and  can  tell  me  nothing  of  the  extent,  of  the 
catastrophe  which  has  transformed  this  part  of  Africa  into 
an  island  ? " 

"  Nothing  more  than  you  know  yourself,"  was  the 
count's  rejoinder. 

"  But  surely.  Count  Timascheff,  you  can  inform  me 
whether  upon  the  northern  shore  of  the  Mediterranean " 

"Are  you  certain  that  this  is  the  Mediterranean?" 
asked  the  count  significantly,  and  added,  "  I  have  dis- 
covered no  sign  of  land." 

The  captain  stared  in  silent  bewilderment.  For  some 
moments  he  seemed  perfectly  stupified  ;  then,  recovering 
himself,  he  began  to  overwhelm  the  count  with  a  torrent  of 
questions.  Had  he  noticed,  ever  since  the  ist  of  January, 
that  the  sun  had  risen  in  the  west .''  Had  he  noticed  that 
the  days  had  been  only  six  hours  long,  and  that  the  weight 
of  the  atmosphere  was  so  much  diminished  ?  Had  he 
observed  that  the  moon  had  quite  disappeared,  and  that  the 
earth  had  been  in  imminent  hazard  of  running  foul  of  the 
planet  Venus .-'  Was  he  aware,  in  short,  that  the  entire 
motions  of  the  terrestrial  sphere  had  undergone  a  complete 
modification  ?  To  all  these  inquiries,  the  count  responded 
in  the  afifirmative.  He  was  acquainted  with  everything 
that  had  transpired;  but,  to  Servadac's  increasing  astonish- 
ment, he  could  throw  no  light  upon  the  cause  of  any  of 
the  phenomena. 

"On  the  night  of  the  31st  of  December,"  he  said,  "  I 
was  proceeding  by  sea  to  our  appointed  place  of  meeting 
when  my  yacht  was  suddenly  caught  on  the  crest  of  an 
enormous  wave,  and  carried  to  a  height  which  it  is  beyond 
my  power  to  estimate.  Some  mysterious  force  seemed  to 
have  brought  about  a  convulsion  of  the  elements.     Our 


INQUIRIES   UNSATISFIED^  59 


engine  was  damaged,  nay  disabled,  and  we  drifted  entirely 
at  the  mercy  of  the  terrible  hurricane  that  raged  during 
the  succeeding  days.  That  the  Dobryna  escaped  at  all  is 
little  less  than  a  miracle,  and  I  can  only  attribute  her 
safety  to  the  fact  that  she  occupied  the  centre  of  the  vast 
cyclone,  and  consequently  did  not  experience  much  change 
of  position," 

He  paused,  and  added  : 

"  Your  island  is  the  first  land  we  have  seen." 

"  Then  let  us  put  out  to  sea  at  once  and  ascertain  the 
extent  of  the  disaster,"  cried  the  captain,  eagerly.  "  You 
will  take  me  on  board,  count,  will  you  not  ?  " 

"  My  yacht  is  at  your  service,  sir,  even  should  you 
require  to  make  a  tour  round  the  world." 

"A  tour  round  the  Mediterranean  will  suffice  for  the 
present,  I  think,"  said  the  captain,  smiling. 

The  count  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  not  sure,"  said  he,  "  but  what  the  tour  of  the 
Mediterranean  will  prove  to  be  the  tour  of  the  world." 

Servadac  made  no  reply,  but  for  a  time  remained  silent 
and  absorbed  in  thought. 

After  the  silence  was  broken,  they  consulted  as  to  what 
course  was  best  to  pursue ;  and  the  plan  they  proposed 
was,  in  the  first  place,  to  discover  how  much  of  the  African 
coast  still  remained,  and  to  carry  on  the  tidings  of  their 
own  experiences  to  Algiers  ;  or,  in  the  event  of  the  southern 
shore  having  actually  disappeared,  they  would  make  their 
way  northwards  and  put  themselves  in  communication 
with  the  population  on  the  river-banks  of  Europe. 

Before  starting,  it  was  indispensable  that  the  engine  of 
the  Dobryna  should  be  repaired  :  to  sail  under  canvas  only 
would  in  contrary  winds  and  rough  seas  be  both  tedious 
and  difficult.  The  stock  of  coal  on  board  Was  adequate 
for  two  months'  consumption;  but  as  it  would  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  be  exhausted,  it  was  obviously  the 
part  of  prudence  to  employ  it  in  reaching  a  port  where 
fuel  could  be  replenished. 

The  damage  sustained  by  the  engine  proved  to  be  not 


60  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


very  serious.  Some  of  the  boiler-tubes  had  cracked, 
allowing  the  water  in  consequence  to  run  into  the  furnace  ; 
but  as  several  spare  tubes  had  been  stored  in  the  yacht, 
these  were  available  to  replace  the  old  ones,  and  in  three 
days  after  her  arrival  the  Dobryna  was  again  ready  to  put 
to  sea. 

Servadac  employed  the  interval  in  making  the  count 
acquainted  with  all  he  knew  about  his  small  domain.  They 
made  an  entire  circuit  of  the  island,  and  both  agreed  that 
it  must  be  beyond  the  limits  of  that  circumscribed  territory 
that  they  must  seek  an  explanation  of  what  had  so  strangely 
transpired. 

It  was  on  the  last  day  of  January  that  the  repairs  of 
the  schooner  were  completed.  A  slight  diminution  in  the 
excessively  high  temperature  which  had  prevailed  for  the 
last  few  weeks,  was  the  only  apparent  change  in  the  general 
order  of  things  ;  but  whether  this  was  to  be  attributed  to 
any  alteration  in  the  earth's  orbit  was  a  question  which 
would  still  require  several  days  to  decide.  The  weather 
remained  fine,  and  although  a  few  clouds  had  accumu- 
lated, and  might  have  caused  a  trifling  fall  of  the  baro- 
meter, they  were  not  sufficiently  threatening  to  delay  the 
departure  of  the  Dobry^ia. 

Doubts  now  arose,  and  some  discussion  followed,  whether 
or  not  it  was  desirable  for  Ben  Zoof  to  accompany  his 
master.  There  were  various  reasons  why  he  should  be 
left  behind,  not  the  least  important  being  that  the  schooner 
had  no  accommodation  for  horses,  and  the  orderly  would 
have  found  it  hard  to  part  with  Zephyr,  and  much  more 
with  his  own  favourite  Galette  ;  besides,  it  was  advisable 
that  there  should  be  some  one  left  to  receive  any  strangers 
that  might  possibly  arrive,  as  well  as  to  keep  an  eye  upon 
the  herds  of  cattle  which,  in  the  dubious  prospect  before 
them,  might  prove  to  be  the  sole  resource  of  the  survivors 
of  the  catastrophe.  Altogether,  taking  into  ;onsideration 
that  the  brave  fellow  would  incur  no  personal  risk  by  re- 
maining upon  the  island,  the  captain  was  induced  with 
much  reluctance  to  forego  the  attendance  of  his  servant, 


INQUIRIES    UNSATISFIED.  6l 


hoping  very  shortly  to  return  and  to  restore  him  to  his 
country,  when  he  had  ascertained  the  reason  of  the 
mysteries  in  which  they  were  enveloped. 

On  the  31st,  then,  Ben  Zoof  was  "invested  with 
governor's  powers,"  and  took  an  affecting  leave  of  his 
master,  begging  him,  if  chance  should  carry  him  near 
Montmartre,  to  ascertain  whether  the  beloved  "  mountain  " 
had  been  left  unmoved. 

Farewell  over,  the  Dobrvna  was  carefully  steered 
through  the  creek,  and  was  soon  upon  the  open  sea. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   SEARCH   FOR  ALGERIA, 

The  Dobryna,  a  strong  craft  of  200  tons  burden,  had  been 
built  in  the  famous  ship-building  yards  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight.  Her  sea-going  qualities  were  excellent,  and  would 
have  amply  sufficed  for  a  circumnavigation  of  the  globe ; 
in  fact,  the  ships  in  which  Columbus  and  Magellan  took 
their  voyages  across  the  Atlantic  were  far  inferior  both  in 
size  and  in  construction.  Her  store-compartments  were 
capacious,  and  carried  provisions  enough  for  several  months, 
so  that  she  was  quite  capable  of  making  the  entire  circuit 
of  the  Mediterranean  without  any  necessity  for  re-victual- 
ling. Neither  was  there  any  occasion  for  her  to  take  in 
fresh  ballast  at  Gourbi  Island.  The  weight  of  the  water 
had  diminished  in  precisely  the  same  ratio  as  that  of 
all  material  objects,  consequently  the  conditions  of  the 
schooner's  gravity  remained  undisturbed. 

Count  Timaschefif  was  himself  no  sailor,  but  had  the 
greatest  confidence  in  leaving  the  command  of  his  yacht 
in  the  hands  of  Lieutenant  Procope,  a  man  of  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  and  an  excellent  seaman. 

Born  on  the  count's  estates,  the  son  of  a  serf  who  had 
been  emancipated  long  before  the  famous  edict  of  the 
Emperor  Alexander,  Procope  was  sincerely  attached,  by 
a  tie  of  gratitude  as  well  as  of  duty  and  affection,  to  his 
patron's  service.  After  an  apprenticeship  on  a  merchant 
ship  he  had  entered  the  imperial  navy,  and  had  already 


A   SEARCH   FOR  ALGERIA.  6} 


reached  the  rank  of  lieutenant  when  the  count  appointed 
him  to  the  charge  of  his  own  private  yacht,  in  which 
he  was  accustomed  to  spend  by  far  the  greater  part  of 
his  time,  throughout  the  winter  generally  cruising  in  the 
Mediterranean,  whilst  in  the  summer  he  visited  more 
northern  waters. 

The  ship  could  not  have  been  in  better  hands.  The 
lieutenant  was  well  informed  in  many  matters  outside 
the  pale  of  his  profession,  and  his  attainments  were 
alike  creditable  to  himself  and  to  the  liberal  friend  who 
had  given  him  his  education.  He  had  an  excellent  crew, 
consisting  of  Tiglew  the  engineer,  four  sailors  named 
Niegoch,  Tolstoy,  Etkef,  and  Panofka,  and  Mochel  the 
cook.  These  men,  without  exception,  were  all  sons  of  the 
count's  tenants,  and  so  tenaciously,  even  out  at  sea,  did 
they  cling  to  their  old  traditions,  that  it  mattered  little  to 
them  what  physical  disorganization  ensued,  so  long  as  they 
felt  they  were  sharing  the  experiences  of  their  lord  and 
master.  The  late  astounding  events,  however,  had  ren- 
dered Procope  manifestly  uneasy,  and  not  the  less  so  from 
his  consciousness  that  the  count  secretly  partook  of  his 
own  anxiety. 

Steam  up  and  canvas  spread,  the  schooner  started  east- 
wards. With  a  favourable  wind  she  would  certainly  have 
made  eleven  knots  an  hour  had  not  the  high  waves  some- 
what impeded  her  progress.  Although  only  a  moderate 
breeze  was  blowing,  the  sea  was  rough,  a  circumstance  to 
be  accounted  for  only  by  the  diminution  in  the  force  of  the 
earth's  attraction  rendering  the  liquid  particles  so  buoyant, 
that  by  the  mere  effect  of  oscillation  they  were  carried  to  a 
height  that  was  quite  unprecedented.  M.  Arago  has  fixed 
twenty-five  or  twenty-six  feet  as  the  maximum  elevation 
ever  attained  by  the  highest  waves,  and  his  astonishment 
would  have  been  very  great  to  see  them  rising  fifty  or  even 
sixty  feet.  Nor  did  these  waves  in  the  usual  way  par- 
tially unfurl  themselves  and  rebound  against  the  sides  of 
the  vessel ;  they  might  rather  be  described  as  long  undu- 
lations carrying  the  schooner  (its  weight  diminished  from 


54  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


the  same  cause  as  that  of  the  water)  alternately  to  such 
heights  and  depths,  that  if  Captain  Servadac  had  been 
subject  to  sea-sickness  he  must  have  found  himself  in  sorry 
plight.  As  the  pitching,  however,  was  the  result  of  a  long 
uniform  swell,  the  yacht  did  not  labour  much  harder  than 
she  would  against  the  ordinary  short  strong  waves  of  thr 
Mediterranean  ;  the  main  inconvenience  that  was  expe- 
rienced was  the  diminution  in  her  proper  rate  of  speed. 

For  a  few  miles  she  followed  the  line  hitherto  pre- 
sumably occupied  by  the  coast  of  Algeria ;  but  no  land 
appeared  to  the  south.  The  changed  positions  of  the 
planets  rendered  them  of  no  avail  for  purposes  of  nautical 
observation,  nor  could  Lieutenant  Procope  calculate  his 
latitude  and  longitude  by  the  altitude  of  the  sun,  as  his 
reckonings  would  be  useless  when  applied  to  charts  that  had 
been  constructed  for  the  old  order  of  things ;  but  neverthe 
less,  by  means  of  the  log,  which  gave  him  the  rate  of  pro- 
gress, and  by  the  compass,  which  indicated  the  direction 
in  which  they  were  sailing,  he  was  able  to  form  an  estimate 
of  his  position  that  was  sufficiently  free  from  error  for  his 
immediate  need. 

Happily  the  recent  phenomena  had  no  effect  upon  the 
compass  ;  the  magnetic  needle,  which  in  these  regions  had 
pointed  about  22°  from  the  north  pole,  had  never  deviated 
in  the  least — a  proof  that,  although  east  and  west  had 
apparently  changed  places,  north  and  south  continued  to 
retain  their  normal  position  as  cardinal  points.  The  log 
and  the  compass,  therefore,  were  able  to  be  called  upon 
to  do  the  work  of  the  sextant,  which  had  become  utterly 
useless. 

On  the  first  morning  of  the  cruise  Lieutenant  Procope, 
who,  like  most  Russians,  spoke  French  fluently,  was  ex- 
plaining these  peculiarities  to  Captain  Servadac  ;  the  count 
was  present,  and  the  conversation  perpetually  recurred,  as 
naturally  it  would,  to  the  phenomena  which  remained  so 
inexplicable  to  them  all. 

"  It  is  very  evident,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "  that  ever 
since  the  ist  of  January  the  earth  has  been  moving  in  a 


A  SEARCH  FOR  ALGERIA.  65 

new  orbit,   and   from  some  unknown   cause    has  drawn 
nearer  to  the  sun." 

"  No  doubt  about  that,"  said  Servadac  ;  "  and  I  sup- 
pose that,  having  crossed  the  orbit  of  Venus,  we  have  a 
good  chance  of  running  into  the  orbit  of  Mercury." 

"  And  finish  up  by  a  collision  with  the  sun  !  "  added 
the  count 

"  Terrible  destruction  !  "  exclaimed  Servadac,  with  a 
shudder. 

"  There  is  no  fear  of  that,  Captain  Servadac.  The  earth 
has  undoubtedly  entered  upon  a  new  orbit,  but  she  is  not 
incurring  any  probable  risk  of  being  precipitated  on  to 
the  sun." 

"  Can  you  satisfy  us  of  that  ?  "  asked  the  count. 
"  I  can,  sir.  I  can  give  you  a  proof  which  I  think  you 
will  own  is  conclusive.  If,  as  you  suppose,  the  earth  is 
being  drawn  on  so  as  to  be  precipitated  against  the  sun, 
the  great  centre  of  attraction  of  our  system,  it  could  only 
be  because  the  centrifugal  and  centripetal  forces  that  cause 
the  planets  to  rotate  in  their  several  orbits  had  been  en- 
tirely suspended  :  in  that  case,  indeed,  the  earth  would 
rush  onwards  towards  the  sun,  and  in  sixty-four  days 
and  a  half  the  catastrophe  you  dread  would  inevitably 
happen." 

"  And  what  demonstration  do  you  offer,"  asked  Ser- 
vadac  eagerly,  "  that  it  will  nof  happen  ?  " 

"  Simply  this,  captain  :  that  since  the  earth  entered 
her  new  orbit  half  the  sixty-four  days  has  already  elapsed, 
and  yet  it  is  only  just  recently  that  she  has  crossed  the 
orbit  of  Venu:3,  hardly  one-third  of  the  distance  to  be  tra- 
versed to  reach  the  sun." 

The  lieutenant  paused  to  allow  time  for  reflection,  and 
added  :  "  Moreover,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
we  are  not  so  near  the  sun  as  we  have  been.  The  tem- 
perature has  been  gradually  diminishing ;  the  heat  upon 
Gourbi  Island  is  not  greater  nov/  than  we  might  ordinarily 
expect  to  find  in  Algeria  in  lat.  36*.  At  the  same  time, 
we   have   the  problem   still   unsolved   that   the  Mediter- 


66  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

ranean  has  evidftntly  been  transported  to  the  equatorial 
zone." 

Both  the  count  and  the  captain  expressed  themselves 
reassured  by  his  representations,  and  observed  that  they 
must  now  do  all  in  their  power  to  discover  what  had 
become  of  the  vast  continent  of  Africa,  of  which  they  were 
hitherto  failing  so  completely  to  find  a  vestige. 

Twenty-four  hours  after  leaving  the  island,  the  Dobryna 
had  passed  over  the  sites  where  Tenes,  Cherchil,  Koleah, 
and  Sidi-Feruch  once  had  been,  but  of  these  towns  not 
one  appeared  within  range  of  the  telescope.  Ocean  reigned 
supreme. 

Lieutenant  Procope,  however,  was  absolutely  certain 
that  he  had  not  mistaken  his  direction ;  the  compass 
showed  that  the  wind  had  never  shifted  from  the  west,  and 
this,  with  the  rate  of  speed  as  estimated  by  the  log,  com 
bined  to  assure  him  that  at  this  date,  the  2nd  of  February, 
the  schooner  was  in  lat.  ^G"  49'  N.  and  long.  3°  25'  E., 
the  very  spot  which  ought  to  have  been  occupied  by  the 
Algerian  capital.  But  Algiers,  like  all  the  other  coast- 
towns,  had  apparently  been  absorbed  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth. 

Captain  Servadac,  with  clenched  teeth  and  knitted 
brow,  stood  sternly,  almost  fiercely,  regarding  the  bound- 
less waste  of  water.  His  pulses  beat  fast  as  he  recalled  the 
friends  and  comrades  with  whom  he  had  spent  the  last 
few  years  in  that  vanished  city.  All  the  images  of  his 
past  life  floated  upon  his  memory  ;  his  thoughts  sped 
away  to  his  native  France,  only  to  return  again  to  wonder 
whether  the  depths  of  ocean  would  reveal  any  traces  of 
the  Algerian  metropolis. 

"  Is  it  not  impossible,"  he  murmured  aloud,  "  that  any 
city  should  disappear  so  completely  ?  Would  not  the 
loftiest  eminences  of  the  city  at  least  be  visible  "i  Surely 
some  portion  of  the  Casbah  must  still  rise  above  the  waves  ? 
The  imperial  fort,  too,  was  built  upon  an  elevation  of  750 
feet ;  it  is  incredible  that  it  should  be  so  totally  submerged. 
Unless  some  vestiges  of  these  are  found,  I  shall  begin  tc 


A  SEARCH   FOR  ALGERIA.  6^ 

suspect  that  the  whole  of  Africa  has  been  swallowed  in 
some  vast  abyss." 

Another  circumstance  was  most  remarkable.  Net  a 
material  object  of  any  kind  was  to  be  noticed  floating  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  ;  not  one  branch  of  a  tree  had 
been  seen  drifting  by,  nor  one  spar  belonging  to  one  of 
the  numerous  vessels  that  a  month  previously  had  been 
moored  in  the  magnificent  bay  which  stretched  twelve 
miles  across  from  Cape  Matafuz  to  Point  Pexade.  Per- 
haps the  depths  might  disclose  what  the  surface  failed  to 
reveal,  and  Count  Timascheff,  anxious  that  Servadac  should 
have  every  facility  afforded  him  for  solving  his  doubts, 
called  for  the  sounding-line.  Forthwith,  the  lead  was 
greased  and  lowered.  To  the  surprise  of  all,  and  especi- 
ally of  Lieutenant  Procope,  the  line  indicated  a  bottom  at 
a  nearly  uniform  depth  of  from  four  to  five  fathoms ;  and 
although  the  sounding  was  persevered  with  continuously 
for  more  than  two  hours  over  a  considerable  area,  the 
differences  of  level  were  insignificant,  not  corresponding 
'in  any  degree  to  what  would  be  expected  over  the  site  of 
a  city  that  had  been  terraced  like  the  seats  of  an  amphi- 
theatre. Astounding  as  it  seemed,  what  alternative  was 
left  but  to  suppose  that  the  Algerian  capital  had  been 
completely  levelled  by  the  flood  } 

The  sea-bottom  was  composed  of  neither  rock,  mud, 
sand,  nor  shells  ;  the  sounding-lead  brought  up  nothing 
but  a  kind  of  metallic  dust,  which  glittered  with  a  strange 
iridescence,  and  the  nature  of  which  it  was  impossible  to 
determine,  as  it  was  totally  unlike  what  had  ever  been 
known  to  be  raised  from  the  bed  of  the  Mediterranean. 

"  You  must  see,  lieutenant,  I  should  think,  that  we  arc 
not  so  near  the  coast  of  Algeria  as  you  imagined." 

The  lieutenant  shook  his  head.  After  pondering 
awhile,  he  said : 

"  If  we  were  farther  away  I  should  expect  to  find  a 
depth  of  two  or  three  hundred  fathoms  instead  of  five 
fathoms.     Five  fathoms !     I  confess  I  am  puzzled." 

Hereupon  Servadac  begged  the  count  to  give  instruo 


6S  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


tions  for  the  voyage  to  be  prosecuted  towards  the  south,  in 
order  that  they  might  make  a  more  effective  search  for  the 
coast  which  so  thoroughly  eluded  their  discovery. 

After  satisfying  himself   by  a  short   conference   with 
Lieutenant  Procope  that  the  weather  would  permit  such  a 
change  of  course,  the  count  acceded  to  the  request.    South 
wards,  accordingly,  the  Dobryna's  stem  was  turned. 

P"'or  the  next  thirty-six  hours,  until  the  zjth  of  Febru 
ary,  the  sea  was  examined  and  explored  with  the  most 
unflagging  perseverance.  Its  depth  remained  invariable, 
still  four,  or  at  most  five,  fathoms ;  and  although  its  bottom 
was  assiduously  dredged,  it  was  only  to  prove  it  barren  of 
marine  production  of  any  type. 

The  yacht  made  its  way  to  lat.  '^6',  and  by  reference  to 
the  charts  it  was  tolerably  certain  that  she  was  cruising 
over  the  site  of  the  Sahel,  the  ridge  that  had  separated 
the  rich  plain  of  the  Mitidja  from  the  sea,  and  of  which 
the  highest  peak.  Mount  Boujereah,  had  reached  an  altitude 
of  1 200  feet  ;  but  even  this  peak,  which  might  have  been 
expected  to  emerge  like  an  islet  above  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  was  nowhere  to  be  traced. 

Onwards  still  steamed  the  Dobryna,  beyond  the  site  of 
Douera,  the  principal  village  of  the  Sahel  ;  beyond  Bou- 
farick,  where  spreading  plane-trees  had  shaded  the  spacious 
streets ;  beyond  Blidah,  of  which  not  even  the  fort  (a 
thousand  feet  and  more  higher  than  Oued-el-Kebir)  sur- 
vived ; — beyond  all  these,  still  southwards,  until  Lieutenant 
Procope,  fearful  of  venturing  farther  upon  this  unknown 
ocean,  entreated  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  shift  his  course 
to  the  east,  or  retrace  it  to  the  north  ;  and  it  was  only 
upon  Servadac's  urgent  persuasion  that  he  was  induced  to 
extend  his  exploration  as  far  as  the  mountains  of  Mouzaia, . 
the  legendary  grottoes  formerly  frequented  by  the  Kabyles, 
the  haunt  of  lions,  hyenas,  and  jackals,  and  where  gigantic 
oaks  and  marvellous  bread-fruit  trees  had  flourished  in 
abundance.  Surely,  it  was  urged,  those  lofty  summits, 
which  within  six  weeks  had  been  seen  soaring  to  an 
altitude  of  nearly   5000  feet,  would  be   still  conspicuous 


A  SEARCH   FOR  ALGERIA.  69 


above  the  waves.  But  no ;  sea  and  sky  were  all  that  the 
keenest  vision  could  compass,  and  nothing  was  to  be  done 
but  to  put  about,  and  return  in  disappointment  towards 
the  north. 

Thus  the  Dobryna  regained  the  waters  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean without  discovering  a  trace  of  the  missing  province 
of  Algeria. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AN    ISLAND    TOMB. 

No  longer,  then,  could  there  be  any  doubt  as  to  the  annihi- 
lation of  a  considerable  portion  of  the  colony.  Not  merely 
had  there  been  a  submersion  of  the  land,  but  the  impres- 
sion was  more  and  more  confirmed  that  the  very  bowels 
of  the  earth  must  have  yawned  and  closed  again  upon  a 
large  territory.  Of  the  rocky  substratum  of  the  province 
it  became  more  evident  than  ever  that  not  a  trace  re- 
mained, and  a  new  soil  of  unknown  formation  had  certainly 
taken  the  place  of  the  old  sandy  sea-bottom.  As  it 
altogether  transcended  the  powers  of  those  on  board  to 
elucidate  the  origin  of  this  catastrophe,  it  was  felt  to  be 
incumbent  on  them  at  least  to  ascertain  its  extent. 

After  a  long  and  somewhat  wavering  discussion,  it  was 
at  length  decided  that  the  schooner  should  take  advantage 
of  the  favourable  wind  and  weather,  and  proceed  at  first 
towards  the  east,  thus  following  the  outline  of  what  had 
formerly  represented  the  coast  of  Africa,  until  that  coast 
had  been  lost  in  boundless  sea. 

Not  a  vestige  of  it  all  remained  ;  from  Cape  Matafuz 
to  Tunis  it  had  all  gone,  as  though  it  had  never  been.  The 
maritime  town  of  Dellis,  built  like  Algiers,  amphitheatre- 
wise,  had  totally  disappeared  ;  the  highest  points  were 
quite  invisible ;  not  a  trace  on  the  horizon  was  left  of  the 
Jurjura  chain,  the  topmost  point  of  which  was  known  to 
have  an  altitude  of  more  than  7000  feet  ;  and  the  town  of 
Bougiah,  the  steep  declivities  of  Gouraya,  Mount  Adrar, 


AN   ISLAND   TOMR  yi 

Didyela ;  the  mountains  of  Little  Kabylia,  the  Triton  of 
the  ancients,  that  group  of  seven  headlands,  the  highest 
of  which  had  been  3500  feet  above  the  sea  ;  CoUo,  the 
ancient  port  of  Constantine  ;  Stora,  the  modern  port  of 
Philippeville,  and  Bona  with  its  gulf  twenty-four  miles 
wide — all  had  entirely  vanished.  A  similar  fate  had  be- 
fallen Cape  de  Garde,  Cape  Rosa,  the  mountain  ridges 
of  Edough,  the  sandy  flats  of  the  coast,  Mafrag,  and  La 
Calle,  once  so  famous  for  its  coral  fisheries  ;  but  now, 
although  the  sounding-line  was  lowered  for  well-nigh  the 
hundredth  time,  it  failed  to  raise  a  single  specimen  of 
those  beautiful  zoophytes  with  which  the  Mediten'anean  is 
known  to  abound. 

Count  Timascheff  resolved  to  hold  on  his  course 
through  the  latitudes  lately  occupied  by  the  coast  of  Tunis, 
and  to  make  his  way  to  Cape  Blanc,  the  most  northerly 
point  of  Africa,  where  the  channel  of  the  sea  between  the 
continent  and  the  coast  of  Sicily  being  comparatively 
narrow,  might  present  some  characteristics  which  per- 
chance would  help  to  solve  their  dire  perplexity.  The 
Dobryna,  therefore,  having  followed  the  direction  of  the 
thirty-seventh  parallel  of  north  latitude,  on  the  7th  of 
February  crossed  the  eleventh  degree  of  east  longitude. 

The  reason  that  induced  the  count  and  his  two  col- 
leagues to  persevere  in  their  investigations  towards  the 
east  was  that  quite  recently  a  long-abandoned  project  had 
been  revived,  and  by  French  influence  the  new  Sahara  Sea 
had  been  created.  This  great  achievement,  which  had 
refilled  the  Lake  Tritonis,  that  had  borne  the  vessel  of  the 
Argonauts,  had  not  only  secured  to  France  the  monopoly 
of  the  traffic  between  Europe  and  the  Soudan,  but  had 
materially  improved  the  climate  of  the  country.  From 
the  gulf  of  Cabcs,  in  lat.  34'  N.,  a  wide  channel  had  been 
opened  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  waters  of  the  Medi- 
terranean access  to  the  vast  depression  which  compre- 
hended the  Shotts  of  Kebir  and  of  Gharsa ;  the  isthmus 
existing  between  an  indentation  of  the  Tritonis  basin  and 
the  sea  having  been  cut  asunder,  so  that  the  water  had 


73  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


once  again  taken  possession  of  the  ancient  bed,  whenc*^, 
in  default  of  a  continuous  supply,  it  had  long  ago  evaporated 
under  the  influence  of  the  Libyan  sun. 

What  had  now  to  be  ascertained  was  whether  the 
restoration  of  this  ancient  sea  had  in  any  way  contributed 
towards  bringing  about  the  new  order  of  things.  Was  it 
not  possible  that  the  cutting  of  this  new  channel  had 
c;.used  an  irruption  of  water  of  which  the  annihilation  of 
a  considerable  portion  of  Africa  was  the  result  ?  Was  it 
not  more  than  likely  that  beyond  lat  34°  the  Dobryna 
might  sight  the  coast  of  Tripoli,  which  would  surely  prove 
itself  an  irresistible  obstacle  to  any  wider  spread  of  the 
disaster  .■'  If,  hoAvever,  on  reaching  this  point  they  should 
find  that  the  sea  still  stretched  away  indefinitely  to  the 
south,  it  was  Lieutenant  Procope's  opinion  that  they  would 
have  no  alternative  but  to  proceed  northwards,  and  to  seek 
from  the  shores  of  Europe  a  solution  of  the  mystery  which 
seemed  to  become  more  and  more  inexplicable. 

Unsparing  of  her  fuel,  the  Dobryna  made  her  way  at 
full  steam  towards  Cape  Blanc.  Neither  Cape  Negro  nor 
Cape  Serrat  was  to  be  seen.  The  town  of  Bizerta,  once 
charming  in  its  oriental  beauty,  had  vanished  utterly ;  its 
marabouts,  or  temple-tombs,  shaded  by  magnificent  palms 
that  fringed  the  gulf,  which  by  reason  of  its  narrow  mouth 
had  the  semblance  of  a  lake,  all  had  disappeared,  giving 
place  to  a  vast  waste  of  sea,  the  transparent  waves  of 
which,  as  still  demonstrated  by  the  sounding-line,  had  ever 
the  same  uniform  and  arid  bottom. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  the  schooner  rounded  the  point 
where,  five  weeks  previously.  Cape  Blanc  had  been  so  con- 
spicuous an  object,  and  she  was  now  stemming  the  waters 
of  what  once  had  been  the  Bay  of  Tunis.  But  bay  there 
was  none,  and  the  town  from  which  it  had  derived  its 
name,  with  the  Arsenal,  the  Goletta,  and  the  two  peaks  of 
Bou-Kournein,  had  all  vanished  from  the  view.  Cape  Bon, 
too,  the  most  northern  promontory  of  Africa  and  the  point 
of  the  continent  nearest  to  the  island  of  Sicily,  had  been 
included  in  the  sreneral  devastation. 


AN  ISLAND  TOMa  73 

Before  the  occurrence  of  the  recent  prodigy,  the  bottom 
of  the  Mediterranean  just  at  this  point  had  formed  a 
sudden  ridge  across  the  Straits  of  Libya.  The  sides  of  the 
ridge  had  shelved  to  so  great  an  extent  that,  while  the 
depth  of  water  on  the  summit  had  been  little  more  than 
eleven  fathoms,  that  on  either  hand  of  the  elevation  was 
little  short  of  a  hundred  fathoms.  A  formation  such  as 
this  plainly  indicated  that  at  some  remote  epoch  Cape  Bon 
had  been  connected  with  Cape  Furina,  the  extremity  of 
Sicily,  in  the  same  manner  as  Ceuta  has  doubtless  been 
connected  with  Gibraltar. 

Lieutenant  Procope  was  too  well  acquainted  with  the 
Mediterranean  to  be  unaware  of  this  peculiarity,  and  would 
not  lose  the  opportunity  of  ascertaining  whether  the 
submarine  ridge  still  existed,  or  whether  the  sea-bottom 
between  Sicily  and  Africa  had  undergone  any  modifi- 
cation. 

Both  Timascheflf  and  Servadac  were  much  interested 
in  watching  the  operations.  At  a  sign  from  the  lieu- 
tenant, a  sailor  who  was  stationed  at  the  foot  of  the  fore- 
shrouds  dropped  the  sounding-lead  into  the  water,  and  in 
reply  to  Procope's  inquiries,  reported — "  Five  fathoms  and 
a  flat  bottom." 

The  next  aim  was  to  determine  the  amount  of  depres- 
sion on  either  side  of  the  ridge,  and  for  this  purpose  the 
Dobryna  was  shifted  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  both  to 
the  right  and  left,  and  the  soundings  taken  at  each  station. 
"  Five  fathoms  and  a  flat  bottom "  was  the  unvaried 
announcement  after  each  operation.  Not  only,  therefore, 
was  it  evident  that  the  submerged  chain  between  Cape 
Bon  and  Cape  Furina  no  longer  existed,  but  it  was  equally 
clear  that  the  convulsion  had  caused  a  general  levelling  of 
the  sea-bottom,  and  that  the  soil,  degenerated,  as  it  has  been 
said,  into  a  metallic  dust  of  unrecognized  composition,  bore 
no  trace  of  the  sponges,  sea-anemones,  star-fish,  sea-nettles, 
hydrophytes,  and  shells  with  which  the  submarine  rocks  of 
the  Mediterranean  had  hitherto  been  prodigally  clothed. 

The  Dobrjna  now  put  about  and  resumed  her  explora 


74  HECTOR  SERVADAa 

tions  in  a  southerly  direction.  It  remained,  however,  as 
remarkable  as  ever  how  completely  throughout  the  voyage 
the  sea  continued  to  be  deserted  ;  all  expectations  of 
hailing  a  vessel  bearing  news  from  Europe  were  entirely 
falsified,  so  that  more  and  more  each  member  of  the 
crew  began  to  be  conscious  of  his  isolation,  and  to  believe 
that  the  schooner,  like  a  second  Noah's  ark,  carried  the 
sole  survivors  of  a  calamity  that  had  overwhelmed  the  earth. 

On  the  9th  of  February  the  Dobryna  passed  over  the 
site  of  the  city  of  Dido,  the  ancient  Byrsa — a  Carthage, 
however,  which  was  now  more  completely  destroyed  than 
ever  Punic  Carthage  had  been  destroyed  by  Scipio 
Africanus  or  Roman  Carthage  by  Hassan  the  Saracen. 

In  the  evenmg,  as  the  sun  was  sinking  below  the 
eastern  horizon,  Captain  Servadac  was  lounging  moodily 
against  the  taffrail.  From  the  heaven  above,  where  stars 
kept  peeping  fitfully  from  behind  the  moving  clouds,  his 
eye  wandered  mechanically  to  the  waters  below,  where  the 
long  waves  were  rising  and  falling  with  the  evening  breeze. 

All  at  once,  his  attention  was  arrested  by  a  luminous 
speck  straight  ahead  on  the  southern  horizon.  At  first, 
imagining  that  he  was  the  victim  of  some  spectral 
illusion,  he  observed  it  with  silent  attention ;  but  when,  after 
some  minutes,  he  became  convinced  that  what  he  saw  was 
actually  a  distant  light,  he  appealed  to  one  of  the  sailors, 
by  whom  his  impression  was  fully  corroborated.  The 
intelligence  was  immediately  imparted  to  Count  Timascheff 
and  the  lieutenant 

"Is  it  land,  do  you  suppose?"  inquired  Servadac,  eagerly. 

**I  should  be  more  inclined  to  think  it  is  a  light  on 
board  some  ship,"  replied  the  count 

"Whatever  it  is,  m  another  hour  we  shall  know  all 
about  it,"  said  Servadac. 

"No,  captain,"  interposed  Lieutenant  Procope;  "we 
shall  know  nothing  until  to-morrow." 

"  What !  not  bear  down  upon  it  at  once  ? "  asked  the 
count  in  surprise. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  should  much  rather  lay  to  and  wait  till 


AN  ISLAND  TOMB.  75 


daylight.     If  we  are  really  near  land,  I  should  be  afraid  to 
approach  it  in  the  dark." 

The  count  expressed  his  approval  of  the  lieutenant's 
caution,  and  thereupon  all  sail  was  shortened  so  as  to  keep 
the  Dobryna  from  making  any  considerable  progress  all 
through  the  hours  of  night.  Few  as  those  hours  were, 
they  seemed  to  those  on  board  as  if  their  end  would 
never  come.  Fearful  lest  the  faint  glimmer  should  at  any 
moment  cease  to  be  visible.  Hector  Servadac  did  not  quit 
his  post  upon  the  deck  ;  but  the  light  continued  unchanged. 
It  shone  with  about  the  same  degree  of  lustre  as  a  star  of 
the  second  magnitude,  and  from  the  fact  of  its  remaining 
stationary,  Procope  became  more  and  more  convinced  that 
it  was  on  land  and  did  not  belong  to  a  passing  vessel. 

At  sunrise  every  telescope  was  pointed  with  keenest 
interest  towards  the  centre  of  attraction.  The  light,  of 
course,  had  ceased  to  be  visible,  but  in  the  direction  where 
it  had  been  seen,  and  at  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles, 
there  was  the  distinct  outline  of  a  solitary  island  of  very 
small  extent;  rather,  as  the  count  observed,  it  had  the 
appearance  of  being  the  projecting  summit  of  a  mountain 
all  but  submerged.  Whatever  it  was,  it  was  agreed  that  its 
true  character  must  be  ascertained,  not  only  to  gratify  their 
own  curiosity,  but  for  the  benefit  of  all  future  navigators. 
The  schooner  accordingly  was  steered  directly  towards 
it,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  had  cast  anchor  within  a  few 
cables'  length  of  the  shore. 

The  little  island  proved  to  be  nothing  more  than  an 
arid  rock  rising  abruptly  about  forty  feet  above  the  water. 
It  had  no  outlying  reefs,  a  circumstance  that  seemed  to 
suggest  the  probability  that  in  the  recent  convulsion  it  had 
sunk  gradually,  until  it  had  reached  its  present  position  of 
equilibrium. 

Without  removing  his  eye  from  his  telescope,  Servadac 
exclaimed : 

"  There  is  a  habitation  on  the  place ;  I  can  see  an 
erection  of  some  kind  quite  distinctly.  Who  can  tell 
whether  we  shall  not  come  across  a  human  being  ? " 


76  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


Lieutenant  Procope  looked  doubtful.  The  island  had 
all  the  appearance  of  being  deserted,  nor  did  a  cannon- 
shot  fired  from  the  schooner  have  the  effect  of  bringing 
any  resident  to  the  shore.  Nevertheless,  it  was  undeniable 
that  there  was  a  stone  building  situated  on  the  top  of  the 
rock,  and  that  this  building  had  much  the  character  of  an 
Arabian  marabout. 

The  boat  was  lowered  and  manned  by  the  four  sailors  ; 
Servadac,  Timascheff  and  Procope  were  quickly  rowed 
ashore,  and  lost  no  time  in  commencing  their  ascent  of 
the  steep  acclivity.  Upon  reaching  the  summit,  they  found 
their  progress  arrested  by  a  kind  of  wall,  or  rampart  of 
singular  construction,  its  materials  consisting  mainly  of 
vases,  fragments  of  columns,  carved  bas-reliefs,  statues,  and 
portions  of  broken  stelae,  all  piled  promiscuously  together 
without  any  pretence  to  artistic  arrangement.  They  made 
their  way  into  the  enclosure,  and  finding  an  open  door, 
they  passed  through  and  soon  came  to  a  second  door,  also 
open,  which  admitted  them  to  the  interior  of  the  marabout, 
consistmg  of  a  single  chamber,  the  walls  of  which  were 
ornamented  in  the  Arabian  style  by  sculptures  of  in- 
different execution.  In  the  centre  was  a  tomb  of  the  verj' 
simplest  kind,  and  above  the  tomb  was  suspended  a  large 
silver  lamp  with  a  capacious  reservoir  of  oil,  in  which 
floated  a  long  lighted  wick,  the  flame  of  which  was 
evidently  the  light  that  had  attracted  Servadac's  attention 
on  the  previous  night. 

"  Must  there  not  have  been  a  custodian  of  the  mara- 
bout .-• "  they  mutually  asked  ;  but  if  such  there  had  ever 
been,  he  must,  they  concluded,  either  have  fled  or  have 
perished  on  that  eventful  night.  Not  a  soul  was  there  in 
charge,  and  the  sole  living  occupants  were  a  flock  of  wild 
cormorants  which,  startled  at  the  entrance  of  the  intruders, 
rose  on  wing,  and  took  a  rapid  flight  towards  the  south. 

An  old  French  prayer-book  was  lying  on  the  corner  of 
the  tomb ;  the  volume  was  open,  and  the  page  exposed  to 
view  was  that  which  contained  the  office  for  the  celebration 
of  the  25th  of  August     A  sudden  revelation  flashed  across 


AN    ISLAND   TOMB.  77 


Servadac's  mind.  The  solemn  isolation  of  the  island  tomb, 
the  open  breviary,  the  ritual  of  the  ancient  anniversary,  all 
combined  to  apprise  him  of  the  sanctity  of  the  spot  upon 
which  he  stood. 

"  The  tomb  of  St.  Louis !  "  he  exclaimed,  and  his  com- 
panions involuntarily  followed  his  example,  and  made  a 
reverential  obeisance  to  the  venerated  monument. 

It  was,  in  truth,  the  very  spot  on  which  tradition  asserts 
that  the  canonized  monarch  came  to  die,  a  spot  to  which 
for  six  centuries  and  more  his  countrymen  had  paid  the 
homage  of  a  pious  regard.  The  lamp  that  had  been 
kindled  at  the  memorial  shrine  of  a  saint  was  now  in  all 
probability  the  only  beacon  that  threw  a  light  across  the 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  even  this  ere  long  must 
itself  expire. 

There  was  nothing  more  to  explore.  The  three  to- 
gether quitted  the  marabout,  and  descended  the  rock  to  the 
shore,  whence  their  boat  re-conveyed  them  to  the  schooner, 
which  was  soon  again  on  her  southward  voyage  ;  and  it 
was  not  long  before  the  tomb  of  St.  Louis,  the  only  spot 
that  had  survived  the  mysterious  shock,  was  lost  to  view. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

AT  THE  MERCY  OF  THE  WINDS, 

As  the  affrighted  cormorants  had  winged  their  flight 
towards  the  south,  there  sprang  up  a  sanguine  hope  on 
board  the  schooner  that  land  might  be  discovered  in  that 
direction.  Thither,  accordingly,  it  was  determined  to 
proceed,  and  in  a  few  hours  after  quitting  the  island  of  the 
tomb,  the  Dobryna  was  traversing  the  shallow  waters  that 
now  covered  the  peninsula  of  Dakhul,  which  had  separated 
the  Bay  of  Tunis  from  the  Gulf  of  Hammamet.  For  two 
days  she  continued  an  undeviating  course,  and  after  a  futile 
search  for  the  coast  of  the  Sahel  of  Tunis,  reached  the 
latitude  of  34°,  where  the  meridian  had  crossed  the  Gulf 
of  Cabes  ,  but  not  a  trace  could  be  discerned  of  the  estuary 
that  six  weeks  before  had  been  the  inlet  to  the  channel 
that  had  flooded  the  new  Sahara  Sea.  Far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  it  was  all  ocean,  stretching  away  indefinitely. 

However,  before  that  day,  the  nth  of  February,  had 
closed  in,  there  suddenly  arose  the  cry  of  "  Land  !  "  and  in 
the  extreme  horizon,  right  ahead,  where  land  had  never 
been  before,  it  was  true  enough  that  a  shore  was  distinctly 
to  be  seen.  What  could  it  be  }  It  could  not  be  the  coast 
of  Tripoli ;  for  not  only  would  that  low-lying  shore  be 
quite  invisible  at  such  a  distance,  but  it  was  certain,  more- 
over, that  it  lay  two  degrees  at  least  still  further  south.  It 
was  soon  observed  that  this  newly  discovered  land  was  of 
very  irregular  elevation,  that  it   extended  due  east  and 


AT  THE  MERCY  OF  THE  WINDS.  79 


west  across  the  horizon,  thus  dividing  the  gulf  into  two 
separate  sections  and  completely  concealing  the  island  of 
Jerba,  which  must  lie  behind,  and  that  apparently  it  had 
partially  filled  in  the  Sahara  Sea.  Its  position  was  duly 
traced  on  the  Dobryna's  chart. 

"How  strange,"  exclaimed  Hector  Servadac,  "that 
after  sailing  all  this  time  over  sea  where  we  expected  to 
find  land,  we  have  at  last  come  upon  land  where  we  thought 
to  find  sea!" 

"  Strange,  indeed,"  replied  Lieutenant  Procope  ;  "  and 
what  appears  to  me  almost  as  remarkable  is  that  we  have 
never  once  caught  sight  either  of  one  of  the  Maltese 
tartans  or  one  of  the  Levantine  xebecs  that  traffic  so 
regularly  on  the  Mediterranean." 

"  Eastwards  or  westwards,"  asked  the  count — "  which 
shall  be  our  course  ?  All  farther  progress  to  the  south  is 
checked." 

"  Westwards,  by  all  means,"  replied  Servadac  quickly. 
"I  am  longing  to  know  whether  anything  of  Algeria  is 
left  beyond  the  Shelif ;  besides,  as  we  pass  Gourbi  Island 
we  might  take  Ben  Zoof  on  board,  and  then  make  away 
for  Gibraltar,  where  we  should  be  sure  to  learn  something, 
at  least,  of  European  news." 

With  his  usual  air  of  stately  courtesy,  Count  Timascheff 
begged  the  captain  to  consider  the  yacht  at  his  own 
disposal,  and  desired  him  to  give  the  lieutenant  instruc- 
tions accordingly. 

Lieutenant  Procope,  however,  hesitated,  and  after 
revolving  matters  for  a  few  moments  in  his  mind,  pointed 
out  that  as  the  wind  was  blowing  directly  from  the  west, 
and  seemed  likely  to  increase,  if  they  went  to  the  west  in 
the  teeth  of  the  weather,  the  schooner  would  be  reduced 
to  the  use  of  her  engine  only,  and  would  have  much  diffi- 
culty in  making  any  headway  ;  on  the  other  hand,  by 
taking  an  eastward  course,  not  only  would  they  have  the 
advantage  of  the  wind,  but,  under  steam  and  canvas,  might 
hope  in  a  few  days  to  be  off  the  coast  of  Egypt,  and 
from   Alexandria   or  some   other   port   they  would  have 


So  HECTOR  SERVADAa 


the  same  opportunity  of  getting  tidings  from  Europe  as 
they  would  at  Gibraltar. 

Intensely  anxious  as  he  was  to  revisit  the  province  of 
Oran,  and  eager,  too,  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  welfare  of 
his  faithful  Ben  Zoof,  Servadac  could  not  but  own  the 
reasonableness  of  the  lieutenant's  objections,  and  yielded  to 
the  proposal  that  the  eastward  course  should  be  adopted. 
The  wind  gave  signs  only  too  threatening  of  the  breeze 
rising  to  a  gale  ;  but,  fortunately,  the  waves  did  not  cul- 
minate in  breakers,  but  rather  in  a  long  swell  which  ran  in 
the  same  direction  as  the  vessel. 

During  the  last  fortnight  the  high  temperature  had  been 
gradually  diminishing,  until  it  now  reached  an  average  of 
20"  Cent,  (or  6S°  Fahr.),  and  sometimes  descended  as  low 
as  1 5°,  That  this  diminution  was  to  be  attributed  to  the 
change  in  the  earth's  orbit  was  a  question  that  admitted  of 
little  doubt.  After  approaching  so  near  to  the  sun  as  to 
cross  the  orbit  of  Venus,  the  earth  must  now  have  receded 
so  far  from  the  sun  that  its  normal  distance  of  ninety-one 
millions  of  miles  was  greatly  increased,  and  the  probability 
was  great  that  it  was  approximating  to  the  orbit  of  Mars, 
that  planet  which  in  its  physical  constitution  most  nearly 
resembles  our  own.  Nor  was  this  supposition  suggested 
merely  by  the  lowering  of  the  temperature ;  it  was  strongly 
corroborated  by  the  reduction  of  the  apparent  diameter  of 
the  sun's  disc  to  the  precise  dimensions  which  it  would 
assume  to  an  observer  actually  stationed  on  the  surface  of 
Mars.  The  necessary  inference  that  seemed  to  follow  from 
these  phenomena  was  that  the  earth  had  been  projected 
into  a  new  orbit,  which  had  the  form  of  a  very  elongated 

ellipse. 

Very  slight,  however,  in  comparison  was  the  regard 
which  these  astronomical  wonders  attracted  on  board  the 
Dobryna.  All  interest  there  was  too  much  absorbed  in 
terrestrial  matters,  and  in  ascertaining  what  changes  had 
taken  place  in  the  coniiguration  of  the  earth  itself,  to 
permit  much  attention  to  be  paid  to  its  erratic  movement* 
through  space. 


The  Dolvyiui  dashed  in  between  its  Perpendicular  Walls. 


AT  THE  MERCY  OF  THE  WINDS.         8 1 

The  schooner  kept  bravely  on  her  way,  but  well  out  to 
sea,  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  from  land.  There  was  good 
need  of  this  precaution,  for  so  precipitous  was  the  shore 
that  a  vessel  driven  upon  it  must  inevitably  have  gone  to 
pieces ;  it  did  not  offer  a  single  harbour  of  refuge,  but, 
smooth  and  perpendicular  as  the  walls  of  a  fortress,  it  rose 
to  a  height  of  two  hundred,  and  occasionally  of  three 
hundred  feet  The  waves  dashed  violently  against  its  base. 
Upon  the  general  substratum  rested  a  massive  conglome- 
rate, the  crystallizations  of  which  rose  like  a  forest  of 
gigantic  pyramids  and  obelisks. 

But  what  struck  the  explorers  more  than  anything  was 
the  appearance  of  singular  newness  that  pervaded  the 
whole  of  the  region.  It  all  seemed  so  recent  in  its  forma- 
tion that  the  atmosphere  had  had  no  opportunity  of  pro- 
ducing its  wonted  effect  in  softening  the  hardness  of  its 
lines,  in  rounding  the  sharpness  of  its  angles,  or  in  modi- 
fying the  colour  of  its  surface ;  its  outline  was  clearly 
marked  against  the  sky,  and  its  substance,  smooth  and 
polished  as  though  fresh  from  a  founder's  mould,  glittered 
with  the  metallic  brilliancy  that  is  characteristic  of  pyrites. 
It  seemed  impossible  to  come  to  any  other  conclusion  but 
that  the  land  before  them,  continent  or  island,  had  been 
upheaved  by  subterranean  forces  above  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  and  that  it  was  mainly  composed  of  the  same  metallic 
element  as  had  characterized  the  dust  so  frequently  uplifted 
from  the  bottom. 

The  extreme  nakedness  of  the  entire  tract  was  likewise 
very  extraordinary.  Elsewhere,  in  various  quarters  of  the 
globe,  there  may  be  sterile  rocks,  but  there  are  none  so 
adamant  as  to  be  altogether  unfurrowed  by  the  filaments 
engendered  in  the  moist  residuum  of  the  condensed  vapour; 
elsewhere  there  may  be  barren  steeps,  but  none  so  rigid  as 
not  to  afford  some  hold  to  vegetation,  however  low  and 
elementary  may  be  its  type  ;  but  here  all  was  bare,  and 
blank,  and  desolate — not  a  symptom  of  vitality  was  visible. 

Such  being  the  condition  of  the  adjacent  land,  it  could 
hardly  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  all  the  sea-birds,  the 

o 


82  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

albatross,  the  gull,  the  sea-mew,  sought  continual  refuge  on 
the  schooner ;  day  and  night  they  perched  fearlessly  upon 
the  yards,  the  report  of  a  gun  failing  to  dislodge  them,  and 
when  food  of  any  sort  was  thrown  upon  the  deck,  they 
would  dart  down  and  fight  with  eager  voracity  for  the 
prize.  Their  extreme  avidity  was  recognized  as  a  proof 
that  any  land  where  they  could  obtain  a  sustenance  must 
be  far  remote. 

Onwards  thus  for  several  days  the  Dobryna  followed 
the  contour  of  the  inhospitable  coast,  of  which  the  features 
would  occasionally  change,  sometimes  for  two  or  three 
miles  assuming  the  form  of  a  simple  arris,  sharply  defined 
as  though  cut  by  a  chisel,  when  suddenly  the  prismatic 
lamellae  soaring  in  rugged  confusion  would  again  recur; 
but  all  along  there  was  the  same  absence  of  beach  or  tract 
of  sand  to  mark  its  base,  neither  were  there  any  of  those 
shoals  of  rock  that  are  ordinarily  found  in  shallow  water. 
At  rare  intervals  there  were  some  narrow  fissures,  but  not 
a  creek  available  for  a  ship  to  enter  to  replenish  its  supply 
of  water  ;  and  the  wide  roadsteads  were  unprotected  and 
exposed  to  well-nigh  every  point  of  the  compass. 

But  after  sailing  two  hundred  and  forty  miles,  the  pro- 
gress of  the  Dobryna  was  suddenly  arrested.  Lieutenant 
Procope,  who  had  sedulously  inserted  the  outline  of  the 
newly  revealed  shore  upon  the  maps,  announced  that  it  had 
ceased  to  run  east  and  west,  and  had  taken  a  turn  due 
north,  thus  forming  a  barrier  to  their  continuing  their 
previous  direction.  It  was,  of  course,  impossible  to  conjec- 
ture how  far  this  barrier  extended  ;  it  coincided  pretty 
nearly  with  the  fourteenth  meridian  of  east  longitude ;  and 
if  it  reached,  as  probably  it  did,  beyond  Sicily  to  Italy,  it 
was  certain  that  the  vast  basin  of  the  Mediterranean,  which 
had  washed  the  shores  alike  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa, 
must  have  been  reduced  to  about  half  its  original  area. 

It  was  resolved  to  proceed  upon  the  same  plan  as 
heretofore,  following  the  boundary  of  the  land  at  a  safe 
distance.  Accordingly,  the  head  of  the  Dobryna  was 
pointed  north,  making  straight,  as  it  was  presumed,  for  the 


AT   THE   MERCY   OF   THE   WINDS.  $2 

south  of  Europe.  A  hundred  miles,  or  somewhat  over, 
in  that  direction,  and  it  was  to  be  anticipated  she  would 
come  in  sight  of  Malta,  if  only  that  ancient  island,  the 
heritage  in  succession  of  Phoenicians,  Carthaginians, 
Sicilians,  Romans,  Vandals,  Greeks,  Arabians,  and  the 
knights  of  Rhodes,  should  still  be  undestroyed. 

But  Malta,  too,  was  gone  ;  and  when,  upon  the  14th, 
the  sounding-line  was  dropped  upon  its  site,  it  was  only 
with  the  same  result  so  oftentimes  obtained  before. 

"The  devastation  is  not  limited  to  Africa,"  observed 
the  count. 

"Assuredly  not,"  assented  the  lieutenant;  adding,  "and 
I  confess  I  am  almost  in  despair  whether  we  shall  ever 
ascertain  its  limits.  To  what  quarter  of  Europe,  if  Europe 
still  exists,  do  you  propose  that  I  should  now  direct  your 
course  ?  " 

"To  Sicily,  Italy,  France!"  ejaculated  Servadac,  eagerly 
— "  anywhere  where  we  can  learn  the  truth  of  what  has 
befallen  us." 

"  How  if  we  are  the  sole  survivors  ? "  said  the  count, 
gravely. 

Hector  Servadac  was  silent ;  his  own  secret  presenti- 
ment so  thoroughly  coincided  with  the  doubts  expressed 
by  the  count,  that  he  refrained  from  saying  another  word. 

The  coast,  without  deviation,  still  tended  towards  the 
north,  shutting  off  all  communication  with  the  Gulf  of 
Sydra,  anciently  the  Great  Syrtes,  which  had  formerly 
extended  as  far  as  Egypt ;  and  so  uninterrupted  was  its 
continuity  that  there  remained  no  longer  any  access  by  sea 
to  the  shores  of  Greece  or  the  ports  of  Turkey,  and  conse- 
quently all  approach  to  the  southern  confines  of  Russia  by 
way  of  the  Archipelago,  the  Dardanelles,  the  Sea  of  Mar- 
mora, the  Bosphorus,  and  the  Black  Sea,  was  rendered 
utterly  impossible. 

No  alternative,  therefore,  remained  than  to  take  a 
westerly  course  and  to  attempt  to  reach  the  northern 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  On  the  i6th  the  Dobryna 
essayed  to  start  upon  her  altered  way,  but  it  seemed  as  if 


84  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

the  elements  had  conspired  to  obstruct  her  progress.  A 
furious  tempest  arose  ;  the  wind  beat  dead  in  the  direction 
of  the  coast,  and  the  danger  incurred  by  a  vessel  of  a 
tonnage  so  light  was  necessarily  very  great. 

Lieutenant  Procope  was  extremely  uneasy.  He  took 
m  all  sail,  struck  his  topmasts,  and  resolved  to  rely  entirely 
on  his  engine.  But  the  peril  seemed  only  to  increase. 
Enormous  waves  caught  the  schooner  and  carried  her  up  ' 
to  their  crests,  whence  again  she  was  plunged  deep  into  the 
abysses  that  they  left.  The  screw  failed  to  keep  its  hold 
upon  the  water,  but  continually  revolved  with  useless  speed 
in  the  vacant  air ;  and  thus,  although  the  steam  was  forced 
on  to  the  extremest  limit  consistent  with  safety,  the  vessel 
held  her  way  with  the  utmost  difficulty,  and  recoiled  before 
the  hurricane. 

Still,  not  a  single  resort  for  refuge  did  the  inaccessible 
shore  present.  Again  and  again  the  lieutenant  asked  him- 
self what  would  become  of  him  and  his  comrades,  even  it 
they  should  survive  the  peril  of  shipwreck,  and  gain  a  foot- 
ing upon  the  cliff.  What  resources  could  they  expect  to 
find  upon  that  scene  of  desolation  ?  What  hope  could 
they  entertain  that  any  portion  of  the  old  continent  still 
existed  beyond  that  dreary  barrier  ? 

It  was  a  trying  time,  but  throughout  it  all  the  crew 
behaved  with  the  greatest  courage  and  composure ;  confi- 
dent in  the  skill  of  their  commander,  and  in  the  stability 
of  their  ship,  they  performed  their  duties  with  steadiness 
and  unquestioning  obedience. 

But  neither  skill,  nor  courage,  nor  obedience  could 
avail  ;  all  was  in  vain.  Despite  the  strain  put  upon  her 
engine,  the  schooner,  bare  of  canvas  (for  not  even  the 
smallest  stay-sail  could  have  withstood  the  violence  of 
the  storm),  was  drifting  with  terrific  speed  towards  the 
menacing  precipices,  which  were  only  a  few  short  miles  to 
leeward.  Fully  alive  to  the  hopelessness  of  their  situation, 
the  crew  were  all  on  deck. 

"  All  over  with  us,  sir ! "  said  Procope  to  the  count 
"  I  have  done  everything  that  man  could  do  ;  but  our  case 


AT  THE  MERCY  OF  THE  WINDS.         85 


is  desperate.  Nothing  short  of  a  miracle  can  save  us  now. 
Within  an  hour  we  must  go  to  pieces  upon  yonder  rocks." 
"  Let  us,  then,  commend  ourselves  to  the  providence  of 
Him  to  Whom  nothing  is  impossible,"  replied  the  count,  in 
a  calm,  clear  voice  that  could  be  distinctly  heard  by  all ; 
and  as  he  spoke,  he  reverently  uncovered,  an  example  in 
which  he  was  followed  by  all  the  rest. 

The  destruction  of  the  vessel  seeming  thus  inevitable. 
Lieutenant  Procope  took  the  best  measures  he  could  to 
insure  a  few  days'  supply  of  food  for  any  who  might 
escape  from  the  wreck  and  get  ashore.  He  ordered  several 
cases  of  provisions  and  kegs  of  water  to  be  brought  on 
deck,  and  saw  that  they  were  securely  lashed  to  some 
empty  barrels,  to  make  them  float  after  the  ship  had  gone 
down. 

Less  and  less  grew  the  distance  from  the  shore,  but  no 
creek,  no  inlet,  could  be  discerned  in  the  towering  wall  of 
cliff,  which  seemed  about  to  topple  over  and  involve  them 
in  annihilation.  Except  a  change  of  wind  or,  as  Procope 
observed,  a  supernatural  rifting  of  the  rock,  nothing  could 
bring  deliverance  now. 

But  the  wind  did  not  veer,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more 
the  schooner  was  hardly  three  cables'  distance  from  the 
fatal  land.  All  were  aware  that  their  last  moment  had 
arrived.  Servadac  and  the  count  grasped  each  others' 
hands  for  a  long  farewell ;  and,  tossed  by  the  tremendous 
waves,  the  schooner  was  on  the  very  point  of  being  hurled 
upon  the  cliff,  when  a  ringing  shout  was  heard — 

"  Quick,  boys,  quick !  Hoist  the  jib,  and  right  the 
tiller !  " 

Sudden  and  startling  as  the  unexpected  orders  were, 
they  were  executed  as  if  by  magic. 

The  lieutenant,  who  had  shouted  from  the  bow,  rushed 
astern  and  took  the  helm,  and  before  any  one  had  time  to 
speculate  upon  the  object  of  his  manoeuvres,  he  shouted 
again — 

**  Look  out !  sharp  !  watch  the  sheets  !  " 

An  involuntary  cry  broke  forth  from  all  on  board.    But 


86  HECTJR   SERVADAC. 


it  was  no  cry  of  terror.  Right  ahead  was  a  narrow  open- 
ing in  the  solid  rock  ;  it  was  hardly  forty  feet  wide. 
Whether  it  was  a  passage  or  no,  it  mattered  little  ;  it  was 
at  least  a  refuge ;  and,  driven  by  wind  and  wave,  the 
Dobryna,  under  the  dexterous  guidance  of  the  lieutenant, 
dashed  in  between  its  perpendicular  walls. 

Had  she  not  immured  herself  in  a  perpetual  prison  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  ROYAL  SALUTE. 

*  Then  I  take  your  bishop,  major,"  said  Colonel  Murphy, 
as  he  made  a  move  that  he  had  taken  since  the  previous 
evening  to  consider. 

"  I  was  afraid  you  would,"  replied  Major  Oliphant, 
looking  intently  at  the  chess-board. 

Such  was  the  way  in  which  a  long  silence  was  broken 
on  the  morning  of  the  17th  February  by  the  old  calendar. 

Another  day  elapsed  before  another  move  was  made. 
It  was  a  protracted  game ;  it  had,  in  fact,  already  lasted 
some  months — the  players  being  so  deliberate,  and  so 
fearful  of  taking  a  step  without  the  most  mature  considera- 
tion, that  even  now  they  were  only  making  the  twentieth 
move.  Both  of  them,  moreover,  were  rigid  disciples  of 
the  renowned  Philidor,  who  pronounces  that  to  play  the 
pawns  well  is  "  the  soul  of  chess ;  "  and,  accordingly,  not 
one  pawn  had  been  sacrificed  without  a  most  vigorous 
defence. 

The  men  who  were  thus  beguiling  their  leisure  were 
two  officers  in  the  British  army — Colonel  Heneage  Finch 
Murphy  and  Major  Sir  John  Temple  Oliphant.  Remark- 
ably similar  in  personal  appearance,  they  were  hardly  less 
so  in  personal  character.  Both  of  them  were  about  forty 
years  of  age ;  both  of  them  were  tall  and  fair,  with  bushy 
whiskers  and  moustaches ;  both  of  them  were  phlegmatic 
in  temperament,  and  both  much  addicted  to  the  wearing 


88  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

of  their  uniforms.  They  were  proud  of  their  nationah'ty, 
and  exhibited  a  manifest  disHke,  verging  upon  contempt, 
of  everything  foreign.  Probably  they  would  have  felt  no 
surprise  if  they  had  been  told  that  Anglo-Saxons  were 
fashioned  out  of  some  specific  clay,  the  properties  of  which 
surpassed  the  investigation  of  chemical  analysis.  Without 
any  intentional  disparagement  they  might,  in  a  certain 
way,  be  compared  to  two  scarecrows  which,  though  per- 
fectly harmless  in  themselves,  inspire  some  measure  of 
respect,  and  are  excellently  adapted  to  protect  the  territory 
intrusted  to  their  guardianship. 

English-like,  the  two  officers  had  made  themselves 
thoroughly  at  home  in  the  station  abroad  in  which  it  had 
been  their  lot  to  be  quartered.  The  faculty  of  colonization 
seems  to  be  indigenous  to  the  native  character  ;  once  let 
an  Englishman  plant  his  national  standard  on  the  surface 
of  the  moon,  and  it  would  not  be  long  before  a  colony  was 
established  round  it. 

The  officers  had  a  servant,  named  Kirke,  and  a  com- 
pany of  ten  soldiers  of  the  line.  This  party  of  thirteen 
men  were  apparently  the  sole  survivors  of  an  overwhelming 
catastrophe,  which  on  the  ist  of  January  had  transformed 
an  enormous  rock,  garrisoned  with  well-nigh  two  thousand 
troops,  into  an  insignificant  island  far  out  to  sea.  But 
although  the  transformation  had  been  so  marvellous,  it 
cannot  be  said  that  either  Colonel  Murphy  or  Major  Oli- 
phant  had  made  much  demonstration  of  astonishment. 

"This  is  all  very  peculiar,  Sir  John,"  observed  the 
colonel. 

"  Yes,  colonel ;  very  peculiar,"  replied  the  major. 

"England  will  be  sure  to  send  for  us,"  said  one  officer. 

"  No  doubt  she  will,"  answered  the  other. 

Accordingly,  they  came  to  the  mutual  resolution  that 
they  would  "  stick  to  their  post." 

To  say  the  truth,  it  would  have  been  a  difficult  matter 
for  the  gallant  officers  to  do  otherwise ;  they  had  but 
one  small  boat ;  therefore,  it  was  well  that  they  made  a 
virtue  of   necessity,  and    resigned  themselves   to  patient 


A  ROYAL  SALUTE.  89 


expectation  of  the  British  ship  which,  in  due  time,  would 
bring  relief. 

They  had  no  fear  of  starvation.  Their  island  was 
mined  with  subterranean  stores,  and  these  were  furnished 
with  supplies  more  than  ample  for  thirteen  men — nay,  for 
thirteen  Englishmen — for  the  next  five  years  at  least.  Pre- 
served meat,  ale,  brandy — all  were  in  abundance  ;  conse 
quently,  as  the  men  expressed  it,  they  were  in  this  respect 
"  all  right." 

Of  course,  the  ph5;-sical  changes  that  had  taken  place 
had  attracted  the  notice  both  of  officers  and  men.  But  the 
reversed  position  of  east  and  west,  the  diminution  of  the 
force  of  gravity,  the  altered  rotation  of  the  earth,  and  her 
projection  upon  a  new  orbit,  were  all  things  that  gave 
them  little  concern  and  no  uneasiness  ;  and  when  the 
colonel  and  the  major  had  replaced  the  pieces  on  the 
board  which  had  been  disturbed  by  the  convulsion,  any 
surprise  they  might  have  felt  at  the  chess-men  losing 
some  portion  of  their  weight  was  quite  forgotten  in  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  them  retain  their  equilibrium. 

One  phenomenon,  however,  did  not  fail  to  make  its 
due  impression  upon  the  men  ;  this  was  the  diminution  in 
the  length  of  day  and  night.  Three  days  after  the  cata- 
strophe, Corporal  Pim,  on  behalf  of  himself  and  his  com- 
rades, solicited  a  formal  interview  with  the  officers.  The 
request  having  been  granted,  Pim,  with  the  nine  soldiers, 
all  punctiliously  wearing  the  regimental  tunic  of  scarlet 
and  trousers  of  invisible  green,  presented  themselves  at 
the  door  of  the  colonel's  room,  where  he  and  his  brother- 
officer  were  continuing  their  game.  Raising  his  hand 
respectfully  to  his  cap,  which  he  wore  poised  jauntily  over 
his  right  ear,  and  scarcely  held  on  by  the  strap  below 
his  unr!>?r  lip,  iriie  corporal  waited  permission  to  speak. 

After  a  lingering  survey  of  the  chess-board,  the  colonei 
slowly  lifted  his  eyes,  and  said  with  official  dignity — 

"  Well,  men,  what  is  it  ^  " 

"  First  of  all,  sir,"  replied  the  corporal,  "  we  want  to 
speak  to  you  about  our  pay,  and  then  we  wish  to  have  a 
word  with  the  major  about  our  rations." 


90  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

**Say  on,  then,"  said  Colonel  Murphy.  "What  is  it 
about  your  pay  ?  " 

"  Just  this,  sir  ;  as  the  days  are  only  half  as  long  as  they 
were,  we  should  like  to  know  whether  our  pay  is  to  be 
diminished  in  proportion." 

The  colonel  was  taken  somewhat  aback,  and  did  not 
reply  immediately,  though  by  some  significant  nods  towards 
the  major,  he  indicated  that  he  thought  the  question  very 
reasonable.     After  a  few  moments'  reflection,  he  replied — 

"  It  must,  I  think,  be  allowed  that  your  pay  was  calcu- 
lated from  sunrise  to  sunrise  ;  there  was  no  specification  of 
what  the  interval  should  be.  Your  pay  will  continue  as 
before.     England  can  afford  it." 

A  buzz  of  approval  burst  involuntarily  from  all  the 
men,  but  military  discipline  and  the  respect  due  to  their 
officers  kept  them  in  check  from  any  boisterous  demon- 
stration of  their  satisfaction. 

"  And  now,  corporal,  what  is  your  business  with  me  ? " 
asked  Major  Oliphant. 

"We  want  to  know  whether,  because  the  days  are  only 
six  hours  long,  we  are  to  have  but  two  meals  instead  of 
four .? " 

The  officers  looked  at  each  other,  and  by  their  glances 
mutually  agreed  that  the  corporal  was  a  man  of  good  sound 
common  sense. 

"  Eccentricities  of  nature,"  said  the  major,  "  cannot 
interfere  with  military  regulations.  It  is  true  that  there 
will  be  but  an  interval  of  an  hour  and  an  half  between 
them,  but  the  rule  stands  good — four  meals  a  day.  Eng- 
land is  too  rich  to  grudge  her  soldiers  any  of  her  soldiers' 
due.     Yes ;  four  meals  a  day." 

"  Hurrah  ! "  shouted  the  soldiers,  unable  this  time  to 
keep  their  delight  within  the  bounds  of  military  decorum  ; 
and,  turning  to  the  right-about,  they  marched  away,  leaving 
the  officers  to  renew  their  attention  to  the  all-absorbing 
game. 

However  confident  every  one  upon  the  island  might 
profess  to  be  that  succour  would  be  sent  them  from  their 


A  ROYAL  SALUTE.  9I 

native  land — for  Britain  never  abandons  any  of  her  sons — 
it  could  not  be  disguised  that  that  succour  was  somewhat 
tardy  in  making  its  appearance.  Many  and  various  were 
the  conjectures  to  account  for  the  delay.  Perhaps  England 
was  engrossed  with  domestic  matters,  or  perhaps  she  was 
absorbed  in  diplomatic  difficulties  ;  *  or  perchance,  more 
likely  than  all,  Northern  Europe  had  received  no  tidings  of 
the  convulsion  that  had  shattered  the  south.  Some  good 
reason  there  doubtless  was  ;  but  it  was  undeniable  that 
forty-nine  complete  days  had  been  registered  smce  the 
memorable  ist  of  January,  and  yet  no  ship,  British  or 
otherwise,  had  ever  been  sighted,  and  although  the  sea 
that  washed  the  shores  of  their  island  was  notoriously  one 
of  the  most  frequented  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  it  had 
been  uniformly  desolate,  and  untraversed  by  a  single  sail. 
Neither  officers  nor  men,  however,  permitted  themselves  to 
express  much  surprise  or  discouragement,  but  continued 
their  habitual  routine  ;  guard  relieved  guard,  and  daily  drill 
was  practised  with  the  usual  precision.  The  whole  party 
throve  remarkably  well  upon  the  liberal  provision  of  the 
commissariat  department,  and  if  the  officers  failed  to  show 
the  same  tendency  to  e^nbonpoint  which  was  fast  becoming 
characteristic  of  the  men,  it  was  only  because  they  deemed 
it  due  to  their  rank  to  curtail  any  indulgences  which  might 
compromise  the  fit  of  their  uniform. 

On  the  whole,  time  passed  indifferently  well.  An 
Englishman  rarely  suffers  from  ennui,  and  then  only  in 
his  own  country,  when  required  to  conform  to  what  he 
calls  "  the  humbug  of  society  ; "  and  the  two  officers,  with 
their  similar  tastes,  ideas,  and  dispositions,  got  on  together 
admirably.  It  is  not  to  be  questioned  that  they  were  deeply 
affected  by  a  sense  of  regret  for  their  lost  comrades,  and 
astounded  beyond  measure  at  finding  themselves  the  sole 
survivors  of  a  garrison  of  1895  men,  but  with  true  British 

•  Amongst  other  suggestions,  it  was  surmised  that  England,  astonished  at 
the  success  of  the  Sahara  Sea  lately  formed  by  Captain  Roudaire,  and  un- 
willing to  be  outdone  by  France,  was  occupied  in  a  great  scheme  for  the 
formation  of  a  similar  sea  in  the  centre  of  AustraHtu 


92  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

pluck  and  self-control,  they  had  done  nothing  more  than 
draw  up  a  report  that  1882  names  were  missing  from  the 
muster-roll. 

The  island  itself,  the  sole  surviving  fragment  of  an 
enormous  pile  of  rock  that  had  reared  itself  some  1600  feet 
above  the  sea,  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  the  only  land  that 
was  visible  ;  for  about  twelve  miles  to  the  south  there  was 
another  island,  apparently  the  very  counterpart  of  what 
was  now  occupied  by  the  Englishmen.  It  was  only  natural 
that  this  should  awaken  some  interest  even  in  the  most 
imperturbable  minds,  and  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  two 
officers,  during  one  of  the  rare  intervals  when  they  were 
not  absorbed  in  their  game,  had  decided  that  it  would  be 
desirable  at  least  to  ascertain  whether  the  island  was  de- 
serted, or  whether  it  might  not  be  occupied  by  some  others, 
like  themselves,  survivors  from  the  general  catastrophe. 
Certain  it  is  that  one  morning,  when  the  weather  was 
bright  and  calm,  they  had  embarked  alone  in  the  little 
boat,  and  been  absent  for  seven  or  eight  hours.  Not  even 
to  Corporal  Pim  did  they  communicate  the  object  of  theii 
excursion,  nor  say  one  syllable  as  to  its  result,  and  it  could 
only  be  inferred  from  their  manner  that  they  were  quite 
satisfied  with  what  they  had  seen  ;  and  very  shortly  after- 
wards Major  Oliphant  was  observed  to  draw  up  a  lengthy 
document,  v/hich  was  no  sooner  finished  than  it  was  formally 
signed  and  sealed  with  the  seal  of  the  33rd  Regiment  It 
was  directed — 

To  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty, 

LondoHy 

and  kept  in  readiness  for  transmission  by  the  first  ship 
that  should  hail  in  sight.  But  time  elapsed,  and  here 
was  the  i8th  of  February  without  an  opportunity  having 
been  afforded  for  any  communication  with  the  Britisli 
Government. 

At  breakfast  that  morning,  the  colonel  observed  to  the 
major  that  he  was  under  the  most  decided  impression  that 
the  i8th  of  February  was  a  royal  anniversary;  ai7d  he  went 


A  ROYAL   SALUTE.  93 


on  to  say  that,  although  he  had  received  no  definite  in- 
structions on  the  subject,  he  did  not  think  that  the  peculiar 
circumstances  under  which  they  found  themselves  should 
prevent  them  from  giving  the  day  its  due  military  honours. 
The  major  quite  concurred  ;  and  it  was  mutually  agreed 
lliat  the  occasion  must  be  honoured  by  a  bumper  of  port, 
and  by  a  royal  salute.  Corporal  Pim  must  be  sent  for. 
The  corporal  soon  made  his  appearance,  smacking  his  lips, 
having,  by  a  ready  intuition,  found  a  pretext  for  a  double 
morning  ration  of  spirits. 

"The  1 8th  of  February,  you  know,  Pim,"  said  the 
colonel ;  "  and  we  must  have  a  salute  of  twenty-one 
guns," 

"Very  good,"  replied  Pim,  who  was  a  man  of  few 
words. 

"  And  take  care  that  your  fellows  don't  get  their  arms 
and  legs  blown  off,"  added  the  officer. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  said  the  corporal  ;  and  he  made  his 
salute  and  withdrew. 

Of  all  the  bombs,  howitzers,  and  various  species  of 
artillery  with  which  the  fortress  had  been  crowded,  one 
solitary  piece  remained.  This  was  a  cumbrous  muzzle- 
loader  of  9-inch  calibre,  and,  in  default  of  the  smaller 
ordnance  generally  employed  for  the  purpose,  had  to  be 
brought  into  requisition  for  the  royal  salute. 

A  sufficient  number  of  charges  having  been  provided, 
the  corporal  brought  his  men  to  the  reduct,  whence  the 
gun's  mouth  projected  over  a  sloping  embrasure.  The  two 
officers,  in  cocked  hats  and  full  staff"  uniform,  attended  to 
take  charge  of  the  proceedings.  The  gun  was  manoeuvred 
in  strict  accordance  with  the  rules  of  "  The  Artilleryman's 
Manual,  "  and  the  firing  commenced. 

Not  unmindful  of  the  warning  he  had  received,  the 
corporal  was  most  careful  between  each  discharge  to  see 
that  every  vestige  of  fire  was  extinguished,  so  as  to  prevent 
an  untimely  explosion  while  the  men  were  reloading  ;  and 
accidents,  such  as  so  frequently  mar  public  rejoicings 
were  all  happily  avoided. 


94  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


Much  to  the  chagrin  of  both  Colonel  Murphy  and 
Major  Oliphant,  the  effect  of  the  salute  fell  altogether 
short  of  their  anticipations.  The  weight  of  the  atmosphere 
was  so  reduced  that  there  was  comparatively  little  resist- 
ance to  the  explosive  force  of  the  gases,  liberated  at  the 
cannon's  mouth,  and  there  was  consequently  none  of  the 
reverberation,  like  rolling  thunder,  that  ordinarily  follows 
the  discharge  of  heavy  artillery. 

Twenty  times  had  the  gun  been  fired,  and  it  was  on  the 
point  of  being  loaded  for  the  last  time,  when  the  colonel 
laid  his  hand  upon  the  arm  of  the  man  who  had  the 
ramrod. 

"  Stop  !  "  he  said  ;  "  we  will  have  a  ball  this  time.  Let 
us  put  the  range  of  the  piece  to  the  test." 

"  A  good  idea !  "  replied  the  major.  "  Corporal,  you 
hear  the  orders." 

In  quick  time  an  artillery-waggon  was  on  the  spot,  and 
the  men  lifted  out  a  full-sized  shot,  weighing  200  lbs., 
which,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  cannon  would 
carry  about  four  miles.  It  was  proposed,  by  means  of 
telescopes,  to  note  the  place  where  the  ball  first  touched 
the  water,  and  thus  to  obtain  an  approximation  sufficiently 
accurate  as  to  the  true  range. 

Having  been  duly  charged  with  powder  and  ball,  the 
gun  was  raised  to  an  angle  of  something  under  45",  so  as 
to  allow  proper  development  to  tlie  curve  that  the  pro- 
jectile would  make,  and,  at  a  signal  from  the  major,  the 
light  was  applied  to  the  priming. 

"  Heavens  !  "  "  By  all  that's  good  !  "  exclaimed  both 
officers  in  one  breath,  as,  standing  open-mouthed,  they 
hardly  knew  whether  they  were  to  believe  the  evidence  of 
their  own  senses.    "  Is  it  possible  .-•  " 

The  diminution  of  the  force  of  attraction  at  the  earth's 
surface  was  so  considerable  that  the  ball  had  sped  beyond 
the  horizon. 

"  Incredible  !  "  ejaculated  the  coloncL 

**  Incredible  !  "  echoed  the  major. 

•  Six  miles  at  least !  "  observed  the  one. 


A  ROYAL  SALUTE.  95 


**  Ay,  more  than  that !  "  replied  the  other. 

Awhile,  they  gazed  at  the  sea  and  at  each  other  in 
mute  amazement.  But  in  the  midst  of  their  perplexity, 
what  sound  was  that  which  startled  them  ?  Was  it  mere 
fancy  ?  Was  it  the  reverberation  of  the  cannon  still  boom- 
ing in  their  ears  ?  Or  was  it  not  truly  the  report  of  another 
a.nd  a  distant  gun  in  answer  to  their  own  ?  Attentively  and 
eagerly  they  listened.  Twice,  thrice  did  the  sound  repeat 
itself.     It  was  quite  distinct.     There  could  be  no  mistake. 

"  I  told  you  so,"  cried  the  colonel,  triumphantly.  "  I 
knew  our  country  would  not  forsake  us ;  it  is  an  English 
ship,  no  doubt." 

In  half  an  hour  two  masts  were  visible  above  the 
horizon. 

"  See !  Was  I  not  right }  Our  country  was  sure  to 
send  to  our  relief     Here  is  the  ship." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  major  ;  "  sure  enough,  she  has  re- 
sponded to  our  gun." 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped,"  muttered  the  corporal,  "  that  our 
ball  has  done  her  no  damage." 

Before  long  the  hull  was  full  in  sight.  A  long  trail  of 
smoke  betokened  her  to  be  a  steamer ;  and  very  soon,  by 
the  aid  of  the  glass,  it  could  be  ascertained  that  she  was 
a  schooner-yacht,  and  making  straight  for  the  island,  A 
flag  at  her  mast-head  fluttered  in  the  breeze,  and  towards 
this  the  two  officers,  with  the  keenest  attention,  respectively 
adjusted  their  focus. 

Simultaneously  the  two  telescopes  were  lowered.  The 
colonel  and  the  major  stared  at  each  other  in  blank  astonish- 
ment 

"  Russian  !  "  they  gasped. 

And  true  it  was  that  the  flag  that  floated  at  the  head 
of  yonder  mast  was  the  white  ground  and  blue  cross  of 
Russia. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SENSITIVE  NATIONALITY. 

When  the  schooner  had  approached  the  island,  the  Eng- 
lishmen were  able  to  make  out  the  name  '' Dobryna"  painted 
on  the  aft-board.  A  sinuous  irregularity  of  the  coast  had 
^rmed  a  kind  of  cove,  which,  though  hardly  spacious 
enough  for  a  few  fishing-smacks,  would  afford  the  yacht 
a  temporary  anchorage,  so  long  as  the  wind  did  not  blow 
violently  from  either  the  west  or  south.  Into  this  cove  the 
Dobryna  was  duly  signalled,  and  as  soon  as  she  was  safely 
moored,  she  lowered  her  four-oar,  and  Count  Timascheflf 
and  Captain  Servadac  made  their  way  at  once  to  land. 

Colonel  Heneage  Finch  Murphy  and  Major  Sir  John 
Temple  Oliphant  stood,  grave  and  prim,  formally  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  their  visitors.  Captain  Servadac,  with  the 
uncontrolled  vivacity  natural  to  a  Frenchman,  was  the  first 
to  speak. 

"  A  joyful  sight,  gentlemen  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It  will 
give  us  unbounded  pleasure  to  shake  hands  again  with 
some  of  our  fellow-creatures.  You,  no  doubt,  have  escaped 
the  same  disaster  as  ourselves." 

But  the  English  officers,  neither  by  word  nor  gesture, 
made  the  slightest  acknowledgment  of  tnis  familiar 
greeting. 

"What  news  can  you  give  us  of  France,  England,  or 
Russia  }  "  continued  Servadac,  perfectly  unconscious  of  the 
stolid   rigidity   with   which   his    advances    were   received. 


SENSITIVE  NATIONALITY.  97 


"  We  are  anxious  to  hear  anything  you  can  tell  us.     Have 
you  had  communications  with  Europe  ?     Have  you " 

"  To  whom  have  we  the  honour  of  speaking  ? "  at  last 
interposed  Colonel  Murphy,  in  the  coldest  and  most  mea- 
sured tone,  and  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height 

"  Ah !  how  stupid !  I  forgot,"  said  Servadac,  with  the 
slightest  possible  shrug  of  the  shoulders ;  "  we  have  not 
been  introduced." 

Then,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand  towards  his  companion, 
who  meanwhile  had  exhibited  a  reserve  hardly  less  than 
that  of  the  British  officers,  he  said — 

"  Allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  Count  Wassili  Tima- 
schefif." 

"Major  Sir  John  Temple  Oliphant,"  replied  the  colonel. 

The  Russian  and  the  Englishman  mutually  exchanged 
the  stiffest  of  bows. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  Captain  Servadac," 
said  the  count  in  his  turn. 

"  And  this  is  Colonel  Heneage  Finch  Murphy,"  was  the 
major's  grave  rejoinder. 

More  bows  were  interchanged  and  the  ceremony  brought 
to  its  due  conclusion.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the 
conversation  had  been  carried  on  in  French,  a  language 
which  is  generally  known  both  by  Russians  and  English- 
men— a  circumstance  that  is  probably  in  some  measure  to 
be  accounted  for  by  the  refusal  of  Frenchmen  to  learn 
either  Russian  or  English. 

The  formal  preliminaries  of  etiquette  being  thus  com- 
plete, there  was  no  longer  any  obstacle  to  a  freer  inter- 
course. The  colonel,  signing  to  his  guests  to  follow,  led 
the  way  to  the  apartment  occupied  jointly  by  himself  and 
the  major,  which,  although  only  a  kind  of  casemate 
hollowed  in  the  rock,  nevertheless  wore  a  general  air  of 
comfort.  Major  Oliphant  accompanied  them,  and  all  four 
having  taken  their  seats,  the  conversation  was  commenced. 

Irritated  and  disgusted  at  all  the  cold  formalities. 
Hector  Servadac  resolved  to  leave  all  the  talking  to  the 
count ;  and  he,  quite  aware  that  the  Englishmen  would 

H 


98  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


adhere  to  the  fiction  that  they  could  be  supposed  to  know 
nothing  that  had  transpired  previous  to  the  introduction 
felt  himself  obliged  to  recapitulate  matters  from  the  verj 
beginning. 

"You  must  be  aware,  gentlemen,"  began  the  count 
"that  a  most  singular  catastrophe  occurred  on  the  ist  of 
January  last.  Its  cause,  its  limits  we  have  utterly  failed  to 
discover,  but  from  the  appearance  of  the  island  on  which 
we  find  you  here,  you  have  evidently  experienced  its 
devastating  consequences," 

The  Englishmen,  in  silence,  bowed  assent. 

"  Captain  Servadac,  who  accompanies  me,"  continued 
the  count,  "  has  been  most  severely  tried  by  the  disaster. 
Engaged  as  he  was  in  an  important  mission  as  a  staff-officei 
in  Algeria " 


« 


A  French  colony,  I  believe,"  interposed  Major  Oli- 
phant,  half  shutting  his  eyes  with  an  expression  of  supreme 
indifference. 

Servadac  was  on  the  point  of  making  some  cutting- 
retort,  but  Count  Timaschefi",  without  allowing  the  inter- 
ruption to  be  noticed,  calmly  continued  his  narrative — 

"  It  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Shelif  that  a  portion  of 
Africa,  on  that  eventful  night,  was  transformed  into  an  island 
which  alone  survived  ;  the  rest  of  the  vast  continent  dis- 
appeared as  completely  as  if  it  had  never  been." 

The  announcement  seemed  by  no  means  startling  to 
the  phlegmatic  colonel. 

''  Indeed  ! "  was  all  he  said. 

"  And  where  were  you  ?  "  asked  Major  Oliphant. 

"  I  was  out  at  sea,  cruising  in  my  yacht,  hard  by;  and 
I  look  upon  it  as  a  miracle,  and  nothing  less,  that  I  anc' 
my  crew  escaped  with  our  lives. 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  your  luck,"  replied  the  major. 

The  count  resumed — 

"  It  was  about  a  month  after  the  great  disruption  that 
I  was  sailing — my  engine  having  sustained  some  damage  in 
the  shock — along  the  Algerian  coast,  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  with  my  previous  acquaintance.  Captain  Ser- 


SENSITIVE  NATIONALITY.  99 


vadac,  who  was  resident  upon  the  island  with  his  orderly, 
Ben  Zoof." 

"  Ben  who  ?  "  inquired  the  major. 

"Zoof!  Ben  Zoof!"  ejaculated  Servadac,  who  could 
scarcely  shout  loud  enough  to  relieve  his  pent-up  feelings. 

Ignoring  this  ebullition  of  the  captain's  spleen,  the 
count  went  on  to  say — 

"  Captain  Servadac  was  naturally  most  anxious  to  get 
what  news  he  could.  Accordingly,  he  left  his  servant  on 
the  island  in  charge  of  his  horses,  and  came  on  board  the 
Dobryna  with  me.  We  were  quite  at  a  loss  to  know  where 
we  should  steer,  but  decided  to  direct  our  course  to  what 
previously  had  been  the  east,  in  order  that  we  might,  if 
possible,  discover  the  colony  of  Algeria;  but  of  Algeria  not 
a  trace  remained." 

The  colonel  curled  his  lip,  insinuating  only  too  plainly 
that  to  him  it  was  by  no  means  surprising  that  a  French 
colony  should  be  wanting  in  the  element  of  stability. 
Servadac  observed  the  supercilious  look,  and  half  rose  to 
his  feet,  but,  smothering  his  resentment,  took  his  seat  again 
without  speaking. 

"  The  devastation,  gentlemen,"  said  the  count,  who 
persistently  refused  to  recognize  the  Frenchman's  irritation, 
"  everywhere  was  terrible  and  complete.  Not  only  was 
Algeria  lost,  but  there  was  no  trace  of  Tunis,  except  one 
solitary  rock,  which  was  crowned  by  an  ancient  tomb  of 
one  of  the  kings  of  France " 

"  Louis  the  Ninth,  I  presume,"  observed  the  colonel 

**  Saint  Louis,"  blurted  out  Servadac,  savagely. 

Colonel  Murphy  slightly  smiled. 

Proof  against  all  interruption,  Count  Timascheff,  as  if 
he  had  not  heard  it,  went  on  without  pausing.  He  related 
how  the  schooner  had  pushed  her  way  onwards  to  the  south, 
and  had  reached  the  Gulf  of  Cabes  ;  and  how  she  had 
ascertained  for  certain  that  the  Sahara  Sea  had  no  longei 
an  existence. 

The  smile  of  disdain  again  crossed  the  colonel's  face ; 
he  could  not  conceal  his  opinion  that  such  a  destiny  for  the 
work  of  a  Frenchman  could  be  no  matter  of  surprise. 


100  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

"Our  next  discovery,"  continued  the  count,  "was  that 
a  new  coast  had  been  upheaved  right  along  in  front  of  the 
coast  of  Tripoli,  the  geological  formation  of  which  war 
altogether  strange,  and  which  extended  to  the  north  £*  ar 
as  the  proper  place  of  Malta." 

"And  Malta,"  cried  Servadac,  unable  to  control  himself 
any  longer;  "Malta — town,  forts,  soldiers,  governor,  and  all 
—  has  vanished  just  like  Algeria." 

For  a  moment  a  cloud  rested  upon  the  colonel's  brow, 
only  to  give  place  to  an  expression  of  decided  incredulity. 

"  The  statement  seems  highly  incredible,"  he  said. 

"Incredible?"  repeated  Servadac.  "Why  is  it  that  you 
doubt  my  word  ?  " 

The  captain's  rising  wrath  did  not  prevent  the  colonel 
from  replying  coolly — 

"  Because  Malta  belongs  to  England." 

"  I  can't  help  that,"  answered  Servadac,  sharply ;  "  it 
has  gone  just  as  utterly  as  if  it  had  belonged  to  China." 

Colonel  Murphy  turned  deliberately  away  from  Ser- 
vadac, and  appealed  to  the  count — 

"  Do  you  not  think  you  may  have  made  some  error, 
count,  in  reckoning  the  bearings  of  your  yacht .''  " 

"No,  colonel,  I  am  quite  certain  of  my  reckonings;  and 
not  only  can  I  testify  that  Malta  has  disappeared,  but  I 
can  affirm  that  a  large  section  of  the  Mediterranean  has 
been  closed  in  by  a  new  continent.  After  the  most 
anxious  investigation,  we  could  discover  only  one  narrow 
opening  in  all  the  coast,  and  it  is  by  following  that  little 
channel  that  we  have  made  our  way  hither.  England, 
I  fear,  has  suffered  grievously  by  the  late  catastrophe. 
Not  only  has  Malta  been  entirely  lost,  but  of  the  Ionian 
Islands  that  were  under  England's  protection,  there  seems 
to  be  but  little  left." 

"Ay,  you  may  depend  upon  it,"  said  Servadac,  break- 
ing in  upon  the  conversation  petulantly,  "your  grand 
resident  lord  high  commissioner  has  not  much  to  con- 
gratulate himself  about  in  the  condition  of  Corfu." 

The  Englishmen  were  mystified. 


« 


SENSITIVE   NATIONALITY.  101 

** Corfu,  did  you  say?"  asked  Major  Oliphant 

"Yes,  Corfu  ;  I  said  Corfu,"  replied  Servadac,  with  a 
sort  of  malicious  triumph. 

The  officers  were  speechless  with  astonishment 

The  silence  of  bewilderment  was  broken  at  length  by 
Count  Timaschefif  making  inquiry  whether  nothing  had 
been  heard  from  England,  either  by  telegraph  or  by  any 
passing  ship. 

"  No,"  said  the  colonel ;  "  not  a  ship  has  passed ;  and 
the  cable  is  broken." 

"  But  do  not  the  Italian  telegraphs  assist  you  ? "   con- 
tinued the  count 

"  Italian  I  I  do  not  comprehend  you.  You  must  mean 
the  Spanish,  surely." 

"  How  ?  "  demanded  Timaschefif. 

"Confound  it!  "  cried  the  impatient  Servadac.  "What 
matters  whether  it  be  Spanish  or  Italian  ?  Tell  us,  have 
you  had  no  communication  at  all  from  Europe  ? — no  news 
of  any  sort  from  London  ?  " 

"  Hitherto,  none  whatever,"  replied  the  colonel ;  adding 
with  a  stately  emphasis,  "but  we  shall  be  sure  to  have 
tidings  from  England  before  long." 

"  Whether  England  is  still  in  existence  or  not,  I  sup- 
pose," said  Servadac,  in  a  tone  of  irony. 

The  English  officers  started  simultaneously  to  their 
feet 

"  England  in  existence  V  the  colonel  cried.  "England  ! 
Ten  times  more  probable  that  France " 

"  France  ! "  shouted  Servadac  in  a  passion.  "  France  is 
not  an  island  that  can  be  submerged ;  France  is  an  integral 
portion  of  a  solid  continent     France,  at  least,  is  safe." 

A  scene  appeared  inevitable,  and  Count  Timascheff's 
efforts  to  conciliate  the  excited  parties  were  of  small  avail. 

"  You  are  at  home  here,"  said  Servadac,  with  as  much 
calmness  as  he  could  command  ;  "  it  will  be  advisable,  I 
think,  for  this  discussion  to  be  carried  on  in  the  open  air." 

And  hurriedly  he  left  the  room. 

Followed  immediately  by  the  others,  he  led  the  way  to 


102  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


a  level  piece  of  ground,  which  he  considered  he  might 
fairly  claim  as  neutral  territory. 

''  Now,  gentlemen,"  he  began  haughtily,  "  permit  me  to 
represent  that,  in  spite  of  any  loss  France  may  have  sus- 
tained in  the  fate  of  Algeria,  France  is  ready  to  answer 
any  provocation  that  affects  her  honour.  Here  I  am  the 
representative  of  my  country,  and  here,  on  neutral 
ground " 

"Neutral  ground  }  "  objected  Colonel  Murphy  ;  "I  beg 
your  pardon.  This,  Captain  Servadac,  is  English  territory. 
Do  you  not  see  the  English  flag .'' "  and,  as  he  spoke,  he 
pointed  with  national  pride  to  the  British  standard  floating 
over  the  top  of  the  island. 

"  Pshaw  !  "  cried  Servadac,  with  a  contemptuous  sneer  ; 
"  that  flag,  you  know,  has  been  hoisted  but  a  few  short 
weeks." 

"That  flag  has  floated  where  it  is  for  ages,"  asserted 
the  colonel. 

"An  imposture!"  shouted  Servadac,  as  he  stamped 
with  rage. 

Recovering  his  composure  in  a  degree,  he  continued — 

"  Can  you  suppose  that  I  am  not  aware  that  this  island 
on  which  we  find  you  is  what  remains  of  the  Ionian  repre- 
sentative republic,  over  which  you  English  exercise  the 
right  of  protection,  but  have  no  claim  of  government  ?  " 

The  colonel  and  the  major  looked  at  each  other  in 
amazement. 

Although  Count  Timascheff  secretly  sympathized  with 
Servadac,  he  had  carefully  refrained  from  taking  part  in 
the  dispute ;  but  he  was  on  the  point  of  interfering,  when 
the  colonel,  in  a  greatly  subdued  tone,  begged  to  be 
allowed  to  speak. 

"  I  begin  to  apprehend,"  he  said,  "  that  you  must  be 
labouring  under  some  strange  mistake.  There  is  no  room 
for  questioning  that  the  territory  here  is  England's — Eng- 
land's by  right  of  conquest;  ceded  to  England  by  the 
Treaty  of  Utrecht.  Three  times,  indeed — in  1727,  1779,  and 
1792 — France  and  Spain  have  disputed  our  title,  but  always 


SENSITIVE  NATIONALITY.  103 


to  no  purpose.  You  are,  I  assure  you,  at  the  present 
moment,  as  much  on  English  soil  as  if  you  were  in 
London,  in  the  middle  of  Trafalgar  Square." 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  captain  and  the  count  to 
look  surprised. 

"  Are  we  not,  then,  in  Corfu  .?  "  they  asked. 

"  You  are  at  Gibraltar,"  replied  the  colonel. 

Gibraltar !  The  word  fell  like  a  thunderclap  upon  their 
ears.  Gibraltar!  the  western  extremity  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean !  Why,  had  they  not  been  sailing  persistently 
to  the  east  ?  Could  they  be  wrong  in  imagining  that 
they  had  reached  the  Ionian  Islands  ?  What  new  mystery 
was  this  } 

Count  TimaschefF  was  about  to  proceed  with  a  more 
rigorous  investigation,  when  the  attention  of  all  was 
arrested  by  a  loud  outcry.  Turning  round,  they  saw  that 
the  crew  of  the  Bobryna  was  in  hot  dispute  with  the 
English  soldiers.  A  general  altercation  had  arisen  from  a 
disagreement  between  the  sailor  Panofka  and  Corporal 
Pirn.  It  had  transpired  that  the  cannon-ball  fired  in  ex- 
periment from  the  island  had  not  only  damaged  one  of  the 
spars  of  the  schooner,  but  had  broken  Panofka's  pipe, 
and,  moreover,  had  just  grazed  his  nose,  which,  for  a 
Russian's,  was  unusually  long.  The  discussion  over  this 
mishap  led  to  mutual  recriminations,  till  the  sailors  had 
almost  come  to  blows  with  the  garrison. 

Servadac  was  just  in  the  mood  to  take  Panofka's  part, 
which  drew  from  Major  Oliphant  the  remark  that  England 
could  not  be  held  responsible  for  any  accidental  injury 
done  by  her  cannon,  and  if  the  Russian's  long  nose  came 
in  the  way  of  the  ball,  the  Russian  must  submit  to  the 
mischance. 

This  was  too  much  for  Count  Timascheff,  and  having 
poured  out  a  torrent  of  angry  invective  against  the  English 
officers,  he  ordered  his  crew  to  embark  immediately, 

"  We  shall  meet  again,"  said  Servadac,  as  they  pushed 
off  from  shore. 

"Whenever  you  please,"  was  the  cool  reply. 


104  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

The  geographical  mystery  haunted  the  minds  of  both  the 
count  and  the  captain,  and  they  felt  they  could  never  rest 
till  they  had  ascertained  v/hat  had  become  of  their  re- 
spective countries.  They  were  glad  to  be  on  board  again, 
that  they  might  resume  their  voyage  of  investigation,  and 
in  two  hours  were  out  of  sight  of  the  sole  remaining  frag- 
ment of  Gibraltar. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AN  ENIGMA   FROM   THE  SEA. 

Lieutenant  Procope  had  been  left  on  board  in  charge 
of  the  Dobryna,  and  on  resuming  the  voyage  it  was  a  task 
of  some  difficulty  to  make  him  understand  the  fact  that 
had  just  come  to  light.  Some  hours  were  spent  in  discus- 
sion and  in  attempting  to  penetrate  the  mysteries  of  the 
situation. 

There  were  certain  things  of  which  they  were  perfectly 
certain.  They  could  be  under  no  misapprehension  as  to  the 
distance  they  had  positively  sailed  from  Gourbi  Island 
towards  the  east  before  their  further  progress  was  arrested 
by  the  unknown  shore  ;  as  nearly  as  possible  that  was 
fifteen  degrees :  the  length  of  the  narrow  strait  by  which 
they  had  made  their  way  across  that  land  to  regain  the 
open  sea  was  about  three  miles  and  a  half;  thence  onward 
to  the  island,  which  they  had  been  assured,  on  evidence  that 
they  could  not  disbelieve,  to  be  upon  the  site  of  Gibraltar, 
was  four  degrees  ;  while  from  Gibraltar  to  Gourbi  Island 
was  seven  degrees  or  but  little  more.  What  was  it  alto- 
gether }  Was  it  not  less  than  thirty  degrees  ?  In  that 
latitude,  the  degree  of  longitude  represents  eight  and 
forty  miles.  What,  then,  did  it  all  amount  to  "l  Indubitably, 
to  less  than  1400  miles.  So  brief  a  voyage  would  bring 
the  Dobryna  once  again  to  her  starting-point,  or,  in  other 
words,  would  enable  her  to  complete  the  circumnavigation 
of  the   globe.     How   changed   the   condition  of    things ! 


I06  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


Previously,  to  sail  from  Malta  to  Gibraltar  by  an  eastward 
course  would  have  involved  the  passage  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
the  Red  Sea,  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Pacific,  the  Atlantic  ; 
but  what  had  happened  now  ?  Why,  Gibraltar  had  been 
reached  as  if  it  had  been  just  at  Corfu,  and  some  three 
hundred  and  thirty  degrees  of  the  earth's  circuit  had 
vanished  utterly. 

After  allowing  for  a  certain  margin  of  miscalculation, 
the  main  fact  remained  undeniable  ;  and  the  necessary 
inference  that  Lieutenant  Procope  drew  from  the  round  of 
the  earth  being  completed  in  1400  miles,  was  that  the 
earth's  diameter  had  been  reduced  by  about  fifteen  six- 
teenths of  its  length. 

"  If  that  be  so,"  observed  the  count,  "  it  accounts  for 
some  of  the  strange  phenomena  we  witness.  If  our  world 
has  become  so  insignificant  a  spheroid,  not  only  has  its 
gravity  diminished,  but  its  rotatory  speed  has  been  accele- 
rated ;  and  this  affords  an  adequate  explanation  of  our 
days  and  nights  being  thus  curtailed.  But  how  about  the 
new  orbit  in  which  we  are  moving  .''  " 

He  paused  and  pondered,  and  then  looked  at  Procop* 
as  though  awaiting  from  him  some  further  elucidation  c*J 
the  difficulty. 

The  lieutenant  hesitated.  When,  in  a  few  moments,  he 
began  to  speak,  Servadac  smiled  intelligently,  anticipating 
the  answer  he  was  about  to  hear. 

"  My  conjecture  is,"  said  Procope,  "  that  a  fragment  of 
considerable  magnitude  has  been  detached  from  the  earth  ; 
that  it  has  carried  with  it  an  envelope  of  the  earth's  atmo- 
sphere, and  that  it  is  now  travelling  through  the  solar 
system  in  an  orbit  that  does  not  correspond  at  all  with  the 
proper  orbit  of  the  earth." 

The  hypothesis  was  plausible  ;  but  what  a  multitude  of 
bewildering  speculations  it  entailed  ! 

If,  in  truth,  a  certain  mass  had  been  broken  off  from 
the  terrestrial  sphere,  whither  would  it  wend  its  way  ? 
What  would  be  the  measure  of  the  eccentricity  of  its  path  ? 
What  would  be  its  period  round  the  sun  ?     Might  it  not, 


AN   ENIGMA  FROM  THE  SEA.  I07 


like  a  comet,  be  carried  away  into  the  vast  infinity  of 
space  ?  or,  on  the  other  hand,  might  it  not  be  attracted  to 
the  great  central  source  of  light  and  heat,  and  be  absorbed  in 
it  ?  Did  its  orbit  correspond  with  the  orbit  of  the  ecliptic  ? 
and  was  there  no  chance  of  its  ever  uniting  again  with  the 
globe,  from  which  it  had  been  torn  off  by  so  sudden  and 
violent  a  disruption  ? 

A  thoughtful  silence  fell  upon  them  all,  which  Servadac 
was  the  first  to  break. 

"  Lieutenant,"  he  said,  "  your  explanation  is  ingenious, 
and  accounts  for  many  appearances  ;  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  in  one  point  it  fails." 

**  How  so  ? "  replied  Procope.  "  To  my  mind  the  theory 
meets  all  objections." 

"  I  think  not,"  Servadac  answered.  "  In  one  point,  at 
least,  it  appears  to  me  to  break  down  completely." 

"  What  is  that .''  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"  Stop  a  moment,"  said  the  captain.  "  Let  us  see  that 
we  understand  each  other  right.  Unless  I  mistake  you, 
your  hypothesis  is  that  a  fragment  of  the  earth,  comprising 
the  Mediterranean  and  its  shores  from  Gibraltar  to  Malta, 
has  been  developed  into  a  new  asteroid,  which  is  started  on 
an  independent  orbit  in  the  solar  regions.  Is  not  that 
your  meaning  ? " 

"  Precisely  so,"  the  lieutenant  acquiesced. 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  Servadac,  "  it  seems  to  me  to 
be  at  fault  in  this  respect :  it  fails,  and  fails  completely, 
to  account  for  the  geological  character  of  the  land  that  we 
have  found  now  encompassing  this  sea.  Why,  if  the  new 
land  is  a  fragment  of  the  old — why  does  it  not  retain  its 
old  formation  ?  What  has  become  of  the  granite  and  the 
calcareous  deposits  ?  How  is  it  that  these  should  all  be 
changed  into  a  mineral  concrete  with  which  we  have  no 
acquaintance  }" 

No  doubt,  it  was  a  serious  objection  ;  for,  however 
likely  it  might  be  that  a  mass  of  the  earth  on  being 
detached  would  be  eccentric  in  its  movements,  there  was 
no  probable  reason  to  be  alleged  why  the  material  of  its 


I08  HECTOR  SERVADAa 

substance  should  undergo  so  complete  a  change.  There 
was  nothing  to  account  for  the  fertile  shores,  rich  in  vege- 
tation, being  transformed  into  rocks  arid  and  barren 
beyond  precedent. 

The  lieutenant  felt  the  difficulty,  and  owned  himself 
unprepared  to  give  at  once  an  adequate  solution  ;  never- 
theless, he  declined  to  renounce  his  theory.  He  asserted 
that  the  arguments  in  favour  of  it  carried  conviction  to 
his  mind,  and  that  he  entertained  no  doubt  but  that,  in  the 
course  of  time,  all  apparently  antagonistic  circumstances 
would  be  explained  so  as  to  become  consistent  with  the 
view  he  took.  He  was  careful,  however,  to  make  it  under- 
stood that  with  respect  to  the  original  cause  of  the  disrup- 
tion he  had  no  theory  to  offer ;  and  although  he  knew 
what  expansion  might  be  the  result  of  subterranean  forces, 
he  did  not  venture  to  say  that  he  considered  it  sufficient  to 
produce  so  tremendous  an  effect.  The  origin  of  the  cata- 
strophe was  a  problem  still  to  be  solved. 

"  Ah !  well,"  said  Servadac,  "  I  don't  know  that  it 
matters  much  where  our  new  little  planet  comes  from,  or 
what  it  is  made  of,  if  only  it  carries  France  along  with  it." 

"And  Russia,"  added  the  count. 

"  And  Russia,  of  course,"  said  Servadac,  with  a  polite 
bow. 

There  was,  however,  not  much  room  for  this  sanguine 
expectation,  for  if  a  new  asteroid  had  thus  been  brought 
into  existence,  it  must  be  a  sphere  of  extremely  limited 
dimensions,  and  there  could  be  little  chance  that  it  em- 
braced more  than  the  merest  fraction  of  either  France  or 
Russia.  As  to  England,  the  total  cessation  of  all  tele- 
graphic communication  between  her  shores  and  Gibraltar 
was  a  virtual  proof  that  England  was  beyond  its  compass. 

And  what  was  the  true  measurement  of  the  new  little 
world  ?  At  Gourbi  Island  the  days  and  nights  were  of 
equal  length,  and  this  seemed  to  indicate  that  it  was 
situated  on  the  equator ;  hence  the  distance  by  which  the 
two  poles  stood  apart  would  be  half  what  had  been 
reckoned  would  be  the  distance  completed  by  the  Dobryna 


AN   ENIGMA  FROM  THE  SEA.  IO9 

in  her  circuit.  That  distance  had  been  already  estimated 
to  be  something  under  1400  miles,  so  that  the  Arctic  Pole 
of  their  recently  fashioned  world  must  be  about  350  miles 
to  the  north,  and  the  Antarctic  about  350  miles  to  the 
south  of  the  island.  Compare  these  calculations  with  the 
map,  and  it  is  at  once  apparent  that  the  northernmost 
limit  barely  touched  the  coast  of  Provence,  while  the 
southernmost  reached  to  about  lat.  29°  N.,  and  fell  in  the 
heart  of  the  desert.  The  practical  test  of  these  conclusions 
would  be  made  by  future  investigation,  but  meanwhile  the 
fact  appeared  very  much  to  strengthen  the  presumption 
that,  if  Lieutenant  Procope  had  not  arrived  at  the  whole 
truth,  he  had  made  a  considerable  advance  towards  it. 

The  weather,  ever  since  the  storm  that  had  driven  the 
Dobryna  into  the  creek,  had  been  magnificent.  The  wind 
continued  favourable,  and  now  under  both  steam  and 
canvas,  she  made  a  rapid  progress  towards  the  north,  a 
direction  in  which  she  was  free  to  go  in  consequence  of  the 
total  disappearance  of  the  Spanish  coast,  from  Gibraltar 
right  away  to  Alicante.  Malaga,  Aimeria,  Cape  Gata,  Car- 
thagena,  Cape  Palos — all  were  gone.  The  sea  was  rolling 
over  the  southern  extent  of  the  peninsula,  so  that  the  yacht 
advanced  to  the  latitude  of  Seville  before  it  sighted  any 
land  at  all,  and  then,  not  shores  such  as  the  shores  of 
Andalusia,  but  a  bluff  and  precipitous  cliff,  in  its  geological 
features  resembling  exactly  the  stern  and  barren  rock  that 
she  had  coasted  beyond  the  site  of  Malta.  Here  the  sea 
made  a  decided  indentation  on  the  coast ;  it  ran  up  in  an 
acute-angled  triangle  till  its  apex  coincided  with  the  very 
spot  upon  which  Madrid  had  stood.  But  as  hitherto  the 
sea  had  encroached  upon  the  land,  the  land  in  its  turn 
now  encroached  upon  the  sea  ;  for  a  frowning  headland 
stood  out  far  into  the  basin  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
formed  a  promontory  stretching  out  beyond  the  proper 
places  of  the  Balearic  Isles,  Curiosity  was  all  alive.  There 
was  the  intensest  interest  awakened  to  determine  whethei 
no  vestige  could  be  traced  of  Majorca,  Minorca,  or  any  of 
the  group,  and  it  was  during  a  deviation  from  the  direct 


no  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

course  for  the  purpose  of  a  more  thorough  scrutiny,  that 
one  of  the  sailors  raised  a  thrill  of  general  excitement  by 
shouting,  "  A  bottle  in  the  sea !  " 

Here,  then,  at  length  was  a  communication  from  the 
outer  world.  Surely  now  they  would  find  a  document 
which  would  throw  some  light  upon  all  the  mysteries  that 
had  happened  ?  Had  not  the  day  now  dawned  that  should 
set  their  speculations  all  at  rest  ? 

It  was  the  morning  of  the  2ist  of  February.  The 
count,  the  captain,  the  lieutenant,  everybody  hurried  to  the 
forecastle  ;  the  schooner  was  dexterously  put  about,  and 
all  was  eager  impatience  until  the  supposed  bottle  was 
hauled  on  deck. 

It  was  not,  however,  a  bottle ;  it  proved  to  be  a  round 
leather  telescope-case,  about  a  foot  long,  and  the  first  thing 
y>  do  before  investigating  its  contents  was  to  make  a  care- 
ful examination  of  its  exterior.  The  lid  was  fastened  on 
by  wax,  and  so  securely  that  it  would  take  a  long  immer- 
sion before  any  water  could  penetrate ;  there  was  no 
maker's  name  to  be  deciphered  ;  but  impressed  very  plainly 
with  a  seal  on  the  wax  were  the  two  initials  "  P.  R." 

When  the  scrutiny  of  the  outside  was  finished,  the  wax 
was  removed  and  the  cover  opened,  and  the  lieutenant 
drew  out  a  slip  of  ruled  paper,  evidently  torn  from  a 
common  note-book.  The  paper  had  an  inscription  written 
in  four  lines,  which  were  remarkable  for  the  profusion  of 
notes  of  admiration  and  interrogation  with  which  they 
were  interspersed  : — 

••Gallia??? 
Ab  sole,  au  15  fev.  dist.  59,cx)o,ooo  ],  ! 
Chemin  parcouru  de  janv.  a  fcv.  82,000,000  LI! 
Vabenel     All  right  11    Parfait ! !  !  " 

There  was  a  general  sigh  of  disappointment.  They 
turned  the  paper  over  and  over,  and  handed  it  from  one 
to  another. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  exclaimed  the  count. 

"  Something  mysterious  here  !  "  said  Servadac     "  But 


Everybody  hurried  tu  the  Forecastle. 


.1 


AN    ENIGMA   FROM   THE   SEA.  Ill 

yet,  "  he  continued,  after  a  pause,  "  one  thing  is  tolerably 
certain  :  on  the  15th,  six  days  ago,  some  one  was  alive  to 
write  it." 

"  Yes ;  I  presume  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the 
accuracy  of  the  date,"  assented  the  count. 

To  this  strange  conglomeration  of  French,  English, 
Italian,  and  Latin,  there  was  no  signature  attached  ;  nor 
was  there  anything  to  give  a  clue  as  to  the  locality  in 
which  it  had  been  committed  to  the  waves.  A  telescope- 
case  would  probably  be  the  property  of  some  one  on  board 
a  ship  ;  and  the  figures  obviously  referred  to  the  astro- 
nomical wonders  that  had  been  experienced. 

To  these  general  observations  Captain  Servadac  ob- 
jected that  he  thought  it  unlikely  that  any  one  on  board  a 
ship  would  use  a  telescope-case  for  this  purpose,  but  would 
be  sure  to  use  a  bottle  as  being  more  secure  ;  and,  accord- 
ingly, he  should  rather  be  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
message  had  been  set  afloat  by  some  savant  left  alone, 
perchance,  upon  some  isolated  coast. 

"  But,  however  interesting  it  might  be,"  observed  the 
count,  "  to  know  the  author  of  the  lines,  to  us  it  is  of  far 
greater  moment  to  ascertain  their  meaning." 

And  taking  up  the  paper  again,  he  said — 

"  Perhaps  we  might  analyze  it  word  by  word,  and  from 
its  detached  parts  gather  some  clue  to  its  sense  as  a  whole." 

"  What  can  be  the  meaning  of  all  that  cluster  of  in- 
terrogations after  Gallia  .-'  "  asked  Servadac. 

Lieutenant  Procope,  who  had  hitherto  not  spoken,  now 
broke  his  silence  by  saying — 

"  I  beg,  gentlemen,  to  submit  my  opinion  that  this 
document  goes  very  far  to  confirm  my  hypothesis  that  a 
fragment  of  the  earth  has  been  precipitated  into  space." 

Captain  Servadac  hesitated,  and  then  replied — 

"  Even  if  it  does,  I  do  not  see  how  it  accounts  in  the 
least  for  the  geological  character  of  the  new  asteroid." 

"  But  will  you  allow  me  for  one  minute  to  take  my 
supposition  for  granted  .-' "  said  Procope.  "  If  a  new  little 
planet  has  been   formed,  as  I  imagine,  by  disintegration 


H2  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

from  the  old,  I  should  conjecture  that  Gallia  is  the  name 
assigned  to  it  by  the  writer  of  this  paper.  The  very  notes 
of  interrogation  are  significant  that  he  was  in  doubt  what 
he  should  write." 

"  You  would  presume  that  he  was  a  Frenchman  ? " 
asked  the  count. 

"  I  should  think  so,"  replied  the  lieutenant. 

"  Not  much  doubt  about  that,"  said  Servadac  ;  "  it  is 
all  in  French,  except  a  few  scattered  words  of  English, 
Latin,  and  Italian,  inserted  plainly  to  attract  attention. 
He  could  not  tell  into  whose  hands  the  message  would  fall 
first." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Count  Timascheff,  "  we  seem  to 
have  found  a  name  for  the  new  world  we  occupy." 

"  But  what  I  was  going  especially  to  observe,"  con- 
tinued the  lieutenant,  "  is  that  the  distance,  59,000,000 
leagues,  represents  precisely  the  distance  we  ourselves  were 
from  the  sun  on  the  15th.  It  was  on  that  day  we  crossed 
the  orbit  of  Mars." 

"Yes,  true,"  assented  the  others. 

"  And  the  next  line,"  said  the  lieutenant,  after  reading 
it  aloud,  "  apparently  registers  the  distance  traversed  by 
Gallia,  the  new  little  planet,  in  her  own  orbit.  Her  speed, 
of  course,  we  know  by  Kepler's  laws,  would  vary  according 
to  her  distance  from  the  sun,  and  if  she  were — as  I  conjec- 
ture from  the  temperature  at  that  date — on  the  15th  of 
January  at  her  perihelion,  she  would  be  travelling  twice  as 
fast  as  the  earth,  which  moves  at  the  rate  of  between 
50,000  and  60,000  miles  an  hour." 

"  You  think,  then,"  said  Servadac,  with  a  smile,  "  you 
have  determined  the  perihelion  of  our  orbit :  but  how 
about  the  aphelion  .''  Can  you  form  a  judgment  as  to  what 
distance  we  are  likely  to  be  carried .-'  " 

"  You  are  asking  too  much,"  remonstrated  the  count. 

"  I  confess,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "  that  just  at  present  I 
am  not  able  to  clear  away  the  uncertainty  of  the  future  ; 
but  I  feel  confident  that  by  careful  observation  at  various 
points  we  shall  arrive  at  conclusions  which  not  only  will 


AN   ENIGMA  FROM   THE  SEA.  II j 

determine  our  path,  but  perhaps  may  clear  up  the  mystery 
about  our  geological  structure." 

"  Allow  me  to  ask,"  said  Count  Timascheff,  "  whether 
such  a  new  asteroid  would  not  be  subject  to  ordinary 
mechanical  laws,  and  whether,  once  started,  it  would  not 
have  an  orbit  that  must  be  immutable  ? " 

"Decidedly  it  would,  so  long  as  it  was  undisturbed  by 
the  attraction  of  some  considerable  body  ;  but  we  must 
recollect  that,  compared  to  the  great  planets,  Gallia  must 
be  almost  infinitesimally  small,  and  so  might  be  attracted 
by  a  force  that  is  irresistible." 

"Altogether,  then,"  said  Servadac,  "we  seem  to  have 
settled  it  to  our  entire  satisfaction  that  we  must  be  the 
population  of  a  young  little  world  called  Gallia.  Perhaps 
some  day  we  may  have  the  honour  of  being  registered 
amongst  the  minor  planets." 

"  No  chance  of  that,"  quickly  rejoined  Lieutenant 
Procope.  "  Those  minor  planets  all  are  known  to  rotate  in 
a  narrow  zone  between  the  orbits  of  Mars  and  Jupiter; 
in  their  perihelia  they  cannot  approximate  the  sun  as  we 
have  done  ;  we  shall  not  be  classed  with  them." 

"  Our  lack  of  instruments,"  said  the  count,  "  is  much  to 
be  deplored  ;  it  baffles  our  investigations  in  every  way." 

"  Ah,  never  mind  !  Keep  up  your  courage,  count ! " 
said  Servadac,  cheerily. 

And  Lieutenant  Procope  renewed  his  assurances  that 
he  entertained  good  hopes  that  every  perplexity  would 
soon  be  solved. 

"  I  suppose,"  remarked  the  count,  "  that  we  cannot 
attribute  much  importance  to  the  last  line — 

*Vabenel    All  right  1 1    Parfait  Hi'*' 

The  captain  answered — 

"  At  least,  it  shows  that  whoever  wrote  it  had  no  mur- 
muring or  complaint  to  make,  but  was  quite  content  with 
the  new  order  of  things." 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  RESIDUUM  OF  A  CONTINENT. 

Almost  unconsciously,  the  voyagers  in  the  Dohryna  fell 
into  the  habit  of  using  Gallia  as  the  name  of  the  new 
world  in  which  they  became  aware  they  must  be  making 
an  extraordinary  excursion  through  the  realms  of  space. 
Nothing,  however,  was  allowed  to  divert  them  from  their 
ostensible  object  of  making  a  survey  of  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  accordingly  they  persevered  in  follow- 
ing that  singular  boundary  which  had  revealed  itself  to 
their  extreme  astonishment. 

Having  rounded  the  great  promontory  that  had  barred 
her  farther  progress  to  the  north,  the  schooner  skirted  its 
upper  edge  until  it  brought  her  to  the  bearings  of  the  city 
of  Barcelona.  But  that  busy  port,  with  all  the  adjacent 
coast,  had  disappeared,  and  the  surf  was  beating  against  a 
barrier  of  cliffs  that  seemed  to  have  been  upheaved  a  little 
in  the  rear  of  the  old  sea-margin,  and  which,  after  a  con- 
siderable distance,  took  a  sudden  turn  and  rebutted  into 
the  sea  close  to  the  proper  site  of  Cape  Creus. 

Of  Cape  Creus,  however,  there  was  no  vestige  left. 

A  few  more  leagues  and  they  ought  to  be  abreast  of 
the  shores  of  France.     Yes,  of  France. 

But  who  shall  describe  the  feelings  of  Hector  Servadac 
when,  instead  of  the  charming  outline  of  his  native  land,  he 
beheld  nothing  but  a  solid  boundary  of  savage  rock  } 
Who  shall  paint  the  look  of  consternation  with  which  he 


THE  RESIDUUM   OF  A  CONTINENT.  IIi^ 

gazed  upon  the  stony  rampart — rising  perpendicularly  for 
a  thousand  feet — that  had  replaced  the  shores  of  the 
smiling  south?  Who  shall  reveal  the  burning  anxiety 
with  which  he  throbbed  to  see  beyond  that  cruel  wall  ? 

But  there  seemed  no  hope.  Onwards  and  onwards  the 
yacht  made  her  way,  and  still  no  sign  of  France.  Cape 
Beam  was  not  there.  Neither  Port  Vendres,  nor  the  pools 
of  St.  Nazaire  and  Salces,  nor  any  other  relic  of  the 
Pyr^nees-Orientales  could  be  traced.  The  picturesque 
Narbonne,  beautiful  with  its  alternate  isles  and  lakelets, 
was  nowhere  to  be  distinguished.  Not  a  vestige  of  Cette 
or  of  Frontignan  could  be  recognized.  The  arrondisse- 
ment  of  Nismes  no  longer  was  seen  projecting  into  the 
waters  of  the  I\Iediterranean.  The  estuary  of  the  Rhone 
had  disappeared.  Martignes  was  gone.  Marseilles  gone, 
too.  Was  it  not  to  be  feared  that  France  itself  had  been 
annihilated  } 

It  might  have  been  supposed  that  Servadac's  previous 
experiences  would  have  prepared  him  for  the  discovery 
that  the  catastrophe  which  had  overwhelmed  other  sites 
had  brought  destruction  to  his  own  country  as  well  But 
he  had  failed  to  realize  how  it  might  extend  to  France  ; 
and  when  now  he  was  obliged  with  his  own  eyes  to  witness 
the  waves  of  ocean  rolling  over  what  once  had  been  the 
lovely  shores  of  Provence,  he  was  well-nigh  frantic  with 
desperation. 

"  Am  I  to  believe  that  Gourbi  Island,  that  little  shred 
of  Algeria,  constitutes  all  that  is  left  of  our  glorious  France  ? 
No,  no  ;  it  cannot  be.  Not  yet  have  we  reached  the  pole 
of  our  new  world.  There  is — there  must  be — something 
more  behind  that  frowning  rock.  Oh,  that  for  a  moment 
we  could  scale  its  towering  height  and  look  beyond  !  By 
Heaven,  I  adjure  you,  let  us  disembark,  and  mount  the 
summit  and  explore  !     France  lies  beyond." 

Disembarkation,  however,  was  an  utter  impossibility 
There  was  no  semblance  of  a  creek  in  which  the  Dobryna 
could  find  an  anchorage.  There  was  no  outlying  ridge  on 
which  a  footing  could   be   gained.      The  precipice   was 


Il6  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


perpendicular  as  a  wall,  its  topmost  height  crowned  with 
the  same  conglomerate  of  crystallized  lamellae  that  had  all 
along  been  so  pronounced  a  feature. 

With  her  steam  at  high  pressure,  the  yacht  made  rapid 
progress  towards  the  east.  The  weather  remained  per- 
fectly fine,  the  temperature  became  gradually  cooler,  so 
that  there  was  little  prospect  of  vapours  accumulating  in 
the  atmosphere;  and  nothing  more  than  a  few  cirri,  almost 
transparent,  veiled  here  and  there  the  clear  azure  of  the 
sky.  Throughout  the  day  the  pale  rays  of  the  sun,  appa- 
rently lessened  in  its  magnitude,  cast  only  faint  and  some- 
what uncertain  shadows  ;  but  at  night  the  stars  shone  with 
surpassing  brilliancy.  Of  the  planets,  some,  it  was  ob- 
served, seemed  to  be  fading  away  in  remote  distance.  This 
was  the  case  with  Mars,  Venus,  and  that  unknown  orb 
which  was  moving  in  the  orbit  of  the  minor  planets  ;  but 
Jupiter,  on  the  other  hand,  had  assumed  splendid  propor- 
tions ;  Saturn  was  superb  in  its  lustre,  and  Uranus,  which 
hitherto  had  been  imperceptible  without  a  telescope,  was 
pointed  out  by  Lieutenant  Procope,  plainly  visible  to  the 
naked  eye.  The  inference  was  irresistible  that  Gallia  was 
receding  from  the  sun,  and  travelling  far  away  across  the 
planetary  regions. 

On  the  24th  of  Februaiy,  after  following  the  sinuous 
course  of  what  before  the  date  of  the  convulsion  had  been 
the  coast  line  of  the  department  of  Var,  and  after  a 
fruitless  search  for  Hyeres,  the  peninsula  of  St.  Tropez,  the 
Lerius  Islands,  and  the  gulfs  of  Cannes  and  Jouar,  the 
Dobryna  arrived  upon  the  site  of  the  Cape  of  Antibes. 

Here,  quite  unexpectedly,  the  explorers  made  the  dis- 
covery that  the  massive  wall  of  cliff  had  been  rent  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom  by  a  narrow  rift,  like  the  dry  bed  of  a 
mountain  torrent,  and  at  the  base  of  the  opening,  level 
with  the  sea,  was  a  little  strand  upon  which  there  was  jusf 
space  enough  for  their  boat  to  be  hauled  up. 

"Joy!  joy!"  shouted  Servadac,  half  beside  himself 
with  ecstasy  ;  "  we  can^  land  at  last !  " 

Count  Timascheff  and  the  lieutenant  were  scarcely  less 


THE  RESIDUUM  OF  A  CONTINENT.  1 17 


impatient  than  the  captain,  and  little  needed  his  urgent 
and  repeated  solicitations — 

"  Come  on  !     Quick  !     Come  on  !  no  time  to  lose  !  " 

It  was  half-past  seven  a.m.  when  they  set  their  foot 
upon  this  untried  land.  The  bit  of  strand  was  only  a  few 
square  yards  in  area,  quite  a  narrow  strip.  Upon  it  might 
have  been  recognized  some  fragments  of  that  agglutination 
of  yellow  limestone  which  is  characteristic  of  the  coast  of 
Provence.  But  the  whole  party  was  far  too  eager  to  wait 
and  examine  these  remnants  of  the  ancient  shore ;  they 
hurried  on  to  scale  the  heights. 

The  narrow  ravine  was  not  only  perfectly  dry,  but 
manifestly  had  never  been  the  bed  of  any  mountain  torrent. 
The  rocks  that  rested  at  the  bottom — ^just  as  those  which 
formed  its  sides — were  of  the  same  lamellous  formation  as 
the  entire  coast,  and  had  not  hitherto  been  subject  to  the 
disaggregation  which  the  lapse  of  time  never  fails  to  work. 
A  skilled  geologist  would  probably  have  been  able  to  assign 
them  their  proper  scientific  classification,  but  neither 
Servadac,  Timascheff,  nor  the  lieutenant  could  pretend 
to  any  acquaintance  with  their  specific  character. 

Although,  however,  the  bottom  of  the  chasm  had  never 
as  yet  been  the  channel  of  a  stream,  indications  were  not 
wanting  that  at  some  future  time  it  would  be  the  natural 
outlet  of  accumulated  waters;  for  already,  in  many  places, 
thin  layers  of  snow  were  glittering  upon  the  surface  of  the 
fractured  rocks,  and  the  higher  the  elevation  that  was 
gained,  the  more  these  layers  were  found  to  increase  in 
area  and  in  depth. 

"  Here  is  a  trace  of  fresh  water,  the  first  that  Gallia  has 
exhibited,"  said  the  count  to  his  companions,  as  they  toiled 
up  the  precipitous  path. 

"And  probably,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  "as  we  ascend 
we  shall  find  not  only  snow  but  ice.  We  must  suppose 
this  Gallia  of  ours  to  be  a  sphere,  and  if  it  is  so,  we  must 
now  be  very  close  to  her  Arctic  regions  ;  it  is  true  that  hei 
axis  is  not  so  much  inclined  as  to  prolong  day  and  nighi 
as  at  the  poles  of  the  earth,  but  the  rays  of  the  sun  uuis' 


il8  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

reach  us  here  only  very  obliquely,  and  the  cold,  in  all  likeli- 
hood, will  be  intense." 

"  So  cold,  do  you  think  "  asked  Servadac,  "  that  animal 
life  must  be  extinct  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  say  that,  captain,"  answered  the  lieutenant  ; 
**  for,  however  far  our  little  world  may  be  removed  from  the 
sun,  I  do  not  see  why  its  temperature  should  fall  below 
what  prevails  in  those  outlying  regions  beyond  our  system 
where  sky  and  air  are  not." 

"  And  what  temperature  may  that  be  ? "  inquired  the 
captain  with  a  shudder. 

"  Fourier  estimates  that  even  in  those  vast  unfathom- 
able tracts  the  temperature  never  descends  lower  than 
60°,"  said  Procope. 

"  Sixty !  Sixty  degrees  below  zero ! "  cried  the  count. 
"Why,  there's  not  a  Russian  could  endure  it !" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  count.  It  is  placed  on  record 
that  the  English  have  survived  it,  or  something  quite  ap- 
proximate, upon  their  Arctic  expeditions.  When  Captain 
Parry  was  on  Melville  Island,  he  knew  the  thermometer  to 
fall  to  56°." 

As  the  explorers  advanced,  they  seemed  glad  to  pause 
from  time  to  time,  that  they  might  recover  their  breath  ; 
for  the  air,  becoming  more  and  more  rarefied,  made  respira- 
tion somewhat  difficult  and  the  ascent  fatiguing.  Before 
they  had  reached  an  altitude  of  600  feet  they  noticed  a 
sensible  diminution  of  the  temperature ;  but  neither  cold 
nor  fatigue  deterred  them,  and  they  were  resolved  to  per- 
severe. Fortunately,  the  deep  striae  or  furrows  in  the  sur- 
face of  the  rocks  that  made  the  bottom  of  the  ravine 
in  some  degree  facilitated  their  progress,  but  it  was  not 
until  they  had  been  toiling  up  for  two  hours  more  that  they 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit  of  the  cliff. 

Eagerly  and  anxiously  did  they  look  around.  To  the 
sDuth  there  was  nothing  but  the  sea  they  had  traversed  ; 
to  the  north,  nothing  but  one  drear,  inhospitable  stretch. 

Servadac  could  not  suppress  a  cry  of  dismay.  Where 
was  his  beloved   France  ?     Had  he  gained  this  arduous 


THE  RESIDUUM  OF  A  CONTINENT.  IIQ 


height  only  to  behold  the  rocks  carpeted  with  ice  and 
snow,  and  reaching  interminably  to  the  far-off  horizon  ? 
His  heart  sank  within  him. 

The  whole  region  appeared  to  consist  of  nothing  but 
the  same  strange,  uniform  mineral  conglomerate,  crystallized 
into  regular  hexagonal  prisms.  But  whatever  was  its 
geological  character,  it  was  only  too  evident  that  it  had 
entirely  replaced  the  former  soil,  so  that  not  a  vestige  of 
the  old  continent  of  Europe  could  be  discerned.  The 
lovely  scenery  of  Provence,  with  the  grace  of  its  rich  and 
undulating  landscape  ;  its  gardens  of  citrons  and  oranges 
rising  tier  upon  tier  from  the  deep  red  soil  ;  its  long 
avenues  of  pepper-plants,  mimosas,  palm-trees,  and  euca- 
lyptus ;  its  bowers  of  clambering  geraniums,  interspersed 
with  glowing  gladioli  and  crowned  with  the  clustering 
yuccas  ;  its  rocks  upon  the  shore,  oxydized  with  the  most 
radiant  of  tints  ;  and  the  mountains  in  the  background, 
clad  in  their  vesture  of  dark  conifers — all,  all  had  vanished. 
Of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  there  was  not  a  single  repre- 
sentative ;  the  most  meagre  of  Arctic  plants,  the  most 
insignificant  of  lichens,  could  obtain  no  hold  upon  that 
stony  waste.  Nor  did  the  animal  world  assert  the  feeblest 
sway ;  no  petrel,  puffin,  or  guillemot  could  find  a  meal 
upon  that  wide  expanse  of  arid  rock.  The  mineral  king- 
dom reigned  supreme. 

Captain  Servadac's  deep  dejection  was  in  strange  con- 
trast to  his  general  hilarity.  Silent  and  tearful,  he  stood 
.  upon  an  ice-bound  rock,  straining  his  eyes  across  the 
boundless  vista  of  the  mysterious  territory. 

"It  cannot  be!"  he  exclaimed.  "We  must  somehow 
have  mistaken  our  bearings.  True,  we  have  encountered 
this  barrier  ;  but  France  is  there  beyond  !  Yes,  France  is 
there!  Come,  count,  come!  By  all  that's  pitiful,  I  entreat 
you,  come,  and  explore  the  farthest  verge  of  the  ice-bound 
track  ! " 

He  pushed  onwards  along  the  rugged  surface  of  the 
rock,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he  came  to  a  sudden 
pause.    His  foot  had  come  in  contact  with  something  hard 


120  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

beneath  the  snow,  and,  stooping  down,  he  picked  up  a  little 
block  of  stony  substance,  wliich  the  first  glance  revealed 
to  be  of  a  geological  character  altogether  alien  to  the 
universal  rocks  around.  It  proved  to  be  a  fragment  of 
discoloured  marble,  on  which  several  letters  were  inscribed, 
of  which  the  only  part  at  all  decipherable  was  the  syllable 
"  Vil." 

"  Vil — ^Villa  !  "  he  cried  out,  in  his  excitement  dropping 
the  marble,  which  was  broken  into  atoms  by  the  fall. 

What  else  could  this  fragment  be  but  the  sole  surviving 
remnant  of  some  sumptuous  mansion  that  once  had  stood 
on  this  unrivalled  site  ?  Was  it  not  the  residue  of  some 
edifice  that  had  crowned  the  luxuriant  headland  of 
Antibes,  overlooking  Nice,  and  commanding  the  gorgeous 
panorama  that  embraced  the  Maritime  Alps  and  reached 
beyond  Monaco  and  Mentone  to  the  Italian  height  of 
Bordighera  ?  And  did  it  not  give  in  its  sad  and  too  con- 
vincing testimony  that  Antibes  itself  had  been  involved  in 
the  great  destruction  ? 

Servadac  gazed  upon  the  shattered  marble,  pensive  and 
disheartened. 

Count  Timaschefif  laid  his  hand  kindly  on  the  captain's 
shoulder,  and  said — 

"  My  friend,  do  you  not  remember  the  motto  of  the  old 
Hope  family?" 

He  shook  his  head  mournfully. 

"Orbefracto,  spes  illcBsa,"  continued  the  count — "Though 
the  world  be  shattered,  hope  is  unimpaired." 

Servadac  smiled  faintly,  and  replied  that  he  felt  rather 
compelled  to  take  up  the  despairing  cry  of  Dante— 

"All  hope  abandon,  ye  who  enter  here." 

*  Nay,  not  so,"  answered  the  count ;  "  for  the  present 
at  least,  let  our  maxim  be  Nil  desperandum  I  ** 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  SECOND  ENIGMA. 

Upon  re-embarking,  the  bewildered  explorers  began  to 
discuss  the  question  whether  it  would  not  now  be  desirable 
to  make  their  way  back  to  Gourbi  Island,  which  was 
apparently  the  only  spot  in  their  new  world  from  which 
they  could  hope  to  derive  their  future  sustenance.  Captain 
Servadac  tried  to  console  himself  with  the  reflection  that 
Gourbi  Island  was,  after  all,  a  fragment  of  a  French 
colony,  and  as  such  almost  like  a  bit  of  his  dear  France ; 
and  the  plan  of  returning  thither  was  on  the  point  of  being 
adopted,  when  Lieutenant  Procope  remarked  that  they 
ought  to  remember  that  they  had  not  hitherto  made  an 
entire  circuit  of  the  new  shores  of  the  sea  on  which  they 
were  sailing. 

"  We  have,"  he  said,  "  neither  investigated  the  northern 
shore  from  the  site  of  Cape  Antibes  to  the  strait  that 
brought  us  to  Gibraltar,  nor  have  we  followed  the  southern 
shore  that  stretches  from  the  strait  to  the  Gulf  of  Cabes. 
It  is  the  old  coast,  and  not  the  new,  that  we  have  been 
tracing :  as  yet,  we  cannot  say  positively  that  there  is  no 
outlet  to  the  south  ;  as  yet,  we  cannot  assert  that  no  oasis 
of  the  African  desert  has  escaped  the  catastrophe.  Per- 
haps, even  here  in  the  north,  we  may  find  that  Italy  and 
Sicily  and  the  larger  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  may 
still  maintain  their  existence." 


122  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

"  I  entirely  concur  with  you,"  said  Count  Timascheff. 
"  I  quite  think  we  ought  to  make  our  survey  of  the  con- 
fines of  this  new  basin  as  complete  as  possible  before  we 
withdraw." 

Servadac,  although  he  acknowledged  the  justness  of 
these  observations,  could  not  help  pleading  that  the  ex- 
plorations might  be  deferred  until  after  a  visit  had  been 
paid  to  Gourbi  Island. 

"  Depend  upon  it,  captain,  you  are  mistaken,"  replied 
the  lieutenant ;  "the  right  thing  to  do  is  to  use  the  Dobryna 
while  she  is  available." 

"Available  !  What  do  you  mean  }  "  asked  the  count, 
somewhat  taken  by  surprise. 

"  I  mean,"  said  Procope,  "  that  the  farther  this  Gallia 
of  ours  recedes  from  the  sun,  the  lower  the  temperature  will 
fall.  It  is  likely  enough,  I  think,  that  before  long  the  sea 
will  be  frozen  over,  and  navigation  will  be  impossible. 
Already  you  have  learned  something  of  the  difficulties  of 
traversing  a  field  of  ice,  and  I  am  sure,  therefore,  you  will 
acquiesce  in  my  wish  to  continue  our  explorations  while 
the  water  is  still  open." 

"  No  doubt  you  are  right,  lieutenant,"  said  the  count. 
"  We  will  continue  our  search  while  we  can  for  some 
remaining  fragment  of  Europe.  Who  shall  tell  whether 
we  may  not  meet  with  some  more  survivors  from  the 
catastrophe,  to  whom  it  might  be  in  our  power  to  afford 
assistance,  before  we  go  into  our  winter  quarters } " 

Generous  and  altogether  unselfish  as  this  sentiment 
really  was,  it  was  obviously  to  the  general  interest  that 
they  should  become  acquainted,  and  if  possible  establish 
friendly  relations,  with  any  human  inhabitant  who  might 
be  sharing  their  own  strange  destiny  in  being  rolled  away 
upon  a  new  planet  into  the  infinitude  of  space.  All 
difference  of  race,  all  distinction  of  nationality,  must  be 
merged  into  the  one  thought  that,  few  as  they  were,  they 
were  the  sole  surviving  representatives  of  a  world  which  it 
seemed  exceedingly  improbable  that  they  would  ever  see 
again  ;  and  common  sense  dictated  that  they  were  bound 


A  SECOND  ENIGMA.  123 

to  direct  all  their  energies  to  insure  that  their  asteroid 
should  at  least  have  a  united  and  sympathizing  population. 

It  was  on  the  25th  of  February  that  the  yacht  left  the 
little  creek  in  which  she  had  taken  refuge,  and  setting  off 
at  full  steam  eastwards,  she  continued  her  way  along  the 
northern  shore.  A  brisk  breeze  tended  to  increase  the 
keenness  of  the  temperature,  the  thermometer  being,  on  an 
average,  about  two  degrees  below  zero.  Salt  water  freezes 
only  at  a  lower  temperature  than  fresh  ;  the  course  of  the 
Dobryna  was  therefore  unimpeded  by  ice,  but  it  could  not 
be  concealed  that  there  was  the  greatest  necessity  to 
maintain  the  utmost  possible  speed. 

The  nights  continued  lovely ;  the  chilled  condition  of 
the  atmosphere  prevented  the  formation  of  clouds  ;  the 
constellations  gleamed  forth  with  unsullied  lustre ;  and, 
much  as  Lieutenant  Procope,  from  nautical  considerations, 
might  regret  the  absence  of  the  moon,  he  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  own  that  the  magnificent  nights  of  Gallia 
were  such  as  must  awaken  the  enthusiasm  of  an  astronomer. 
And,  as  if  to  compensate  for  the  loss  of  the  moonlight,  the 
heavens  were  illuminated  by  a  superb  shower  of  falling 
stars,  far  exceeding,  both  in  number  and  in  brilliancy,  the 
phenomena  which  are  commonly  distinguished  as  the 
August  and  November  meteors  ;  in  fact,  Gallia  was  passing 
through  that  meteoric  ring  which  is  known  to  lie  exterior 
to  the  earth's  orbit,  but  almost  concentric  with  it.  The 
luminous  bodies  seemed  to  radiate  from  Algol,  in  the  con- 
stellation of  Perseus,  and  the  friction  of  the  atmosphere 
enveloping  the  planetoid  not  only  somewhat  arrested  the 
velocity  with  which  they  were  travelling,  but  caused  them 
to  glow  with  an  intenser  lustre  that  was  truly  marvellous. 
During  the  memorable  star-shower  of  1S33,  Ohnsted  esti- 
mated that,  at  Boston,  as  many  as  34,000  of  these  meteors 
darted  across  the  firmament,  but  on  this  occasion  it  may 
safely  be  affirmed  that  there  was  at  least  ten  times  that 
number.  No  display  of  fireworks,  even  of  the  elaborate 
rockets  devised  by  the  master-hand  of  a  Ruggieri  or  a 
Brock,  could  compare  with  the  gorgeous  spectacle.     The 


124  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


rocky  coast,  its  metallic  surface  reflecting  the  glow  of  the 
dazzling  luminaries,  appeared  literally  stippled  with  light, 
whilst  the  sea,  as  though  spattered  with  burning  hailstones, 
shone  with  a  phosphorescence  that  was  perfectly  splendid. 
So  great,  however,  was  the  speed  at  which  Gallia  was 
receding  from  the  sun,  that  this  meteoric  storm  lasted 
scarcely  more  than  four  and  twenty  hours. 

Next  day  the  direct  progress  of  the  Dobryna  was 
arrested  by  a  long  projection  of  land,  which  obliged 
her  to  turn  southwards,  until  she  reached  what  formerly 
would  have  been  the  southern  extremity  of  Corsica.  Of 
this,  however,  there  was  now  no  trace  ;  the  Strait  of  Boni- 
facio had  been  replaced  by  a  vast  expanse  of  water,  which 
had  at  first  all  the  appearance  of  being  utterly  desert ;  but 
on  the  following  morning  the  explorers  unexpectedly 
sighted  a  little  island,  which  (unless  it  should  prove,  as 
was  only  too  likely,  to  be  of  recent  origin)  they  concluded, 
from  its  situation,  must  be  a  portion  of  the  northernmost 
territory  of  Sardinia. 

The  Dobryna  approached  the  land  as  nearly  as  was 
prudent,  the  boat  was  lowered,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
count  and  Servadac  had  landed  upon  the  islet,  which  was 
a  mere  plot  of  meadow  land,  not  much  more  than  two 
acres  in  extent,  dotted  here  and  there  with  a  few  myrtle- 
bushes  and  lentisks,  interspersed  with  some  ancient  olives. 
Having  ascertained,  as  they  imagined,  that  the  spot  was 
devoid  of  living  creature,  they  were  on  the  point  of  return- 
ing to  their  boat,  when  their  attention  was  arrested  by  a 
faint  bleating,  and  immediately  afterwards  a  solitary  she- 
goat  came  bounding  towards  the  shore.  The  creature  had 
dark,  almost  black  hair,  and  small  curved  horns,  and  was  a 
specimen  of  that  domestic  breed  which,  with  considerable 
justice,  has  gained  for  itself  the  title  of  "  the  poor  man's 
cow."  So  far  from  being  alarmed  at  the  presence  of 
strangers,  the  goat  ran  nimbly  towards  them,  and  then,  by 
its  movements  and  plaintive  cries,  seemed  to  be  enticing 
them  to  follow  it 

"  Come,"  said  Servadac ;  "  let  us  see  where  it  will  lead 
us  ;  it  is  more  than  probable  it  {?■  not  alone." 


A  SECOND  ENIGMA.  125 


The  count  agreed;  and  the  animal,  as  if  comprehending 
what  was  said,  trotted  on  gently  for  about  a  hundred 
paces,  and  stopped  in  front  of  a  kind  of  cave  or  burrow  that 
was  half  concealed  by  a  grove  of  lentisks.  Here  a  little 
girl,  seven  or  eight  years  of  age,  with  rich  brown  hair  and 
lustrous  dark  eyes,  beautiful  as  one  of  Murillo's  angels, 
was  peeping  shyly  through  the  branches.  Apparently 
discovering  nothing  in  the  aspect  of  the  strangers  to  excite 
her  apprehensions,  the  child  suddenly  gained  confidence, 
darted  forwards  with  outstretched  hands,  and  in  a  voice 
soft  and  melodious  as  the  language  which  she  spoke,  said 
in  Italian  : 

**  I  like  you  ;  you  will  not  hurt  me,  will  you  ?  '* 

"  Hurt  you,  my  child  ?  "  answered  Servadac.  "  No, 
indeed  ;  we  will  be  your  friends  ;  we  will  take  care  of  you." 

And  after  a  few  moments'  scrutiny  of  the  pretty 
maiden,  he  added  : 

"  Tell  us  vour  name,  little  one.'* 

"  Nina  !  "  was  the  child's  reply. 

**  Well,  then,  Nina,  can  you  tell  us  where  we  are  ?  ** 

"At  Madalena,  I  think,"  said  the  little  girl ;  "  at  least, 
I  know  I  was  there  when  that  dreadful  shock  came  and 
altered  everything." 

The  count  knew  that  Madalena  was  close  to  Caprera, 
to  the  north  of  Sardinia,  which  had  entirely  disappeared 
in  the  disaster.  By  dint  of  a  series  of  questions,  he  gained 
from  the  child  a  very  intelligent  account  of  her  experiences. 
She  told  him  that  she  had  no  parents,  and  had  been 
employed  in  taking  care  of  a  flock  of  goats  belonging  to 
one  of  the  landowners,  when  one  day,  all  of  a  sudden, 
everything  around  her,  except  this  little  piece  of  land,  had 
been  swallowed  up,  and  that  she  and  Marzy,  her  pet  goat, 
had  been  left  quite  alone.  She  went  on  to  say  that  at  first 
she  had  been  very  frightened  ;  but  when  she  found  that  the 
earth  did  not  shake  any  more,  she  had  thanked  the  great 
God,  and  had  soon  made  herself  very  happy  living  with 
Marzy.  She  had  enough  food,  she  said,  and  had  been 
waiting  for  a  boat  to  fetch  her,  and  now  a  boat  had  come 


126  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

and  she  was  quite  ready  to  go  away  ;  only  they  must  let 
her  goat  go  with  her  :  they  would  both  like  so  much  to 
get  back  to  the  old  farm. 

"  Here,  at  least,  is  one  nice  little  inhabitant  of  Gallia," 
said  Captain  Servadac,  as  he  caressed  the  child  and  con- 
ducted her  to  the  boat. 

Half  an  hour  later,  both  Nina  and  Marzy  were  safely 
quartered  on  board  the  yacht.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
they  received  the  heartiest  of  welcomes.  The  Russian 
sailors,  ever  superstitious,  seemed  almost  to  regard  the 
coming  of  the  child  as  the  appearance  of  an  angel ;  and,  in- 
credible as  it  may  seem,  more  than  one  of  them  wondered 
whether  she  had  wings,  and  amongst  themselves  they  com- 
monly referred  to  her  as  "  the  little  Madonna." 

Soon  out  of  sight  of  Madalena,  the  Dobryna  for  some 
hours  held  a  south-easterly  course  along  the  shore,  which 
here  was  fifty  leagues  in  advance  of  the  former  coast-line 
of  Italy,  demonstrating  that  a  new  continent  must  have 
been  formed,  substituted  as  it  were  for  the  old  peninsula, 
of  which  not  a  vestige  could  be  identified.  At  a  latitude 
corresponding  with  the  latitude  of  Rome,  the  sea  took  the 
form  of  a  deep  gulf,  extending  back  far  beyond  the  site  of 
the  Eternal  City;  the  coast  making  a  wide  sweep  round 
to  the  former  position  of  Calabria,  and  jutting  far  beyond 
the  outline  of  "  the  boot,"  which  Italy  resembles.  But  the 
beacon  of  Messina  was  not  to  be  discerned  ;  no  trace,  in- 
deed, survived  of  any  portion  of  Sicily  ;  the  very  peak  of 
Etna,  1 1,000  feet  as  it  had  reared  itself  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  had  vanished  utterly. 

Another  sixty  leagues  to  the  south,  and  the  Dobiyna 
sighted  the  entrance  of  the  strait  which  had  afforded  her 
so  providential  a  refuge  from  the  tempest,  and  had  con- 
ducted her  to  the  fragmentary  relic  of  Gibraltar.  Hence 
to  the  Gulf  of  Cabes  had  been  already  explored,  and  as  it 
was  universally  allowed  that  it  was  unnecessary  to  renew 
the  search  in  that  direction,  the  lieutenant  started  off  in  a 
transverse  course,  towards  a  point  hitherto  uninvestigated. 
That  point  was  reached  on  the  3rd  of  March,  and  thence 


A  SECOND  ENIGMA.  I27 

the  coast  was  continuously  followed,  as  it  led  through  what 
had  been  Tunis,  across  the  province  of  Constantine,  away 
to  the  oasis  of  Ziban  ;  where,  taking  a  sharp  turn,  it  first 
reached  a  latitude  of  ^2°,  and  then  returned  again,  thus 
forming  a  sort  of  irregular  gulf,  enclosed  by  the  same 
unvarying  border  of  mineral  concrete.  This  colossal 
boundary  then  stretched  away  for  nearly  150  leagues  over 
the  Sahara  desert,  and,  extending  to  the  south  of  Gourbi 
Island,  occupied  what,  if  Morocco  had  still  existed,  would 
have  been  its  natural  frontier. 

Adapting  her  course  to  these  deviations  of  the  coast- 
line, the  Dobryna  was  steering  northwards,  and  had  barely 
reached  the  limit  of  the  bay,  when  the  attention  of  all  on 
board  was  arrested  by  the  phenomenon  of  a  volcano,  at 
least  3000  feet  high,  its  crater  crowned  with  smoke,  which 
occasionally  was  streaked  by  tongues  of  flame. 

"  A  burning  mountain  !  "  they  exclaimed. 

"  Gallia,  then,  has  some  internal  heat,"  said  Servadac. 

"  And  why  not,  captain  } "  rejoined  the  lieutenant.  "  If 
our  asteroid  has  carried  with  it  a  portion  of  the  old  earth's 
atmosphere,  why  should  it  not  likewise  retain  something  of 
its  central  fire  ? " 

"  Ah,  well !  "  said  the  captain,  shrugging  his  shoulders, 
"  I  dare  say  there  is  caloric  enough  in  our  little  world  to 
supply  the  wants  of  its  population." 

Count  Timaschefif  interrupted  the  silence  that  followed 
this  conversation  by  saying  : 

"And  now,  gentlemen,  as  our  course  has  brought  us 
on  our  way  once  more  towards  Gibraltar,  what  do  you  say 
to  our  renewing  our  acquaintance  with  the  Englishmen  ? 
They  will  be  interested  in  the  result  of  our  voyage," 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Servadac,  "  I  have  no  desire  that 
way.  They  know  where  to  find  Gourbi  Island  ;  they  can 
betake  themselves  thither  just  when  they  please.  They 
have  plenty  of  provisions.  If  the  water  freezes,  120 
leagues  is  no  very  great  distance.  The  reception  they 
gave  us  was  not  so  cordial  that  we  need  put  ourselves 
out  of  the  way  to  repeat  our  visit." 


128  HECTOR  SERVADAa 

**  What  you  say  is  too  true,"  replied  the  count.  "  I  hope 
we  shall  show  them  better  manners  when  they  condescend 
to  visit  us." 

"  Ay,"  said  Servadac,  "  we  must  remember  that  we  are 
all  one  people  now ;  no  longer  Russian,  French,  or  English. 
Nationality  is  extinct." 

"  I  am  sadly  afraid,  however,"  continued  the  couni, 
"  that  an  Englishman  will  be  an  Englishman  ever." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain,  "  that  is  always  their  failing." 

And  thus  all  further  thought  of  making  their  way  again 
to  the  little  garrison  of  Gibraltar  was  abandoned. 

But  even  if  their  spirit  of  courtesy  had  disposed  them  to 
renew  their  acquaintance  with  the  British  officers,  there 
were  two  circumstances  that  just  then  would  have  rendered 
such  a  proposal  very  unadvisable.  In  the  first  place, 
Lieutenant  Procope  was  convinced  that  it  could  not  be 
much  longer  now  before  the  sea  would  be  entirely  frozen  ; 
and,  besides  this,  the  consumption  of  their  coal,  through  the 
speed  they  had  maintained,  had  been  so  great  that  there 
was  only  too  much  reason  to  fear  that  fuel  would  fail 
them.  Anyhow,  the  strictest  economy  was  necessary,  and 
it  was  accordingly  resolved  that  the  voyage  should  not  be 
much  prolonged.  Beyond  the  volcanic  peak,  moreover, 
the  waters  seemed  to  expand  into  a  boundless  ocean,  and 
it  might  be  a  thing  full  of  risk  to  be  frozen  up  while  the 
yacht  was  so  inadequately  provisioned.  Taking  all  these 
things  into  account,  it  was  agreed  that  further  investi- 
gations should  be  deferred  to  a  more  favourable  season, 
and  that,  without  delay,  the  Dobryna  should  return  to 
Gourbi  Island. 

This  decision  was  especially  welcome  to  Hector  Ser- 
vadac, who,  throughout  the  whole  of  the  last  five  weeks, 
had  been  agitated  by  much  anxious  thought  on  account 
of  the  faithful  servant  he  had  left  behind. 

The  transit  from  the  volcano  to  the  island  was  not 
long,  and  was  marked  by  only  one  noticeable  incident. 
This  was  the  finding  of  a  second  mysterious  document,  in 
character  precisely  similar  to  what  they  had  found  before. 


A   SECOND   ENIGMA.  1 29 


The  writer  of  it  was  evidently  engaged  upon  a  calculation, 
probably  continued  from  day  to  day,  as  to  the  motions  of 
the  planet  Gallia  upon  its  orbit,  and  committing  the  results 
of  his  reckonings  to  the  waves  as  the  channel  of  communi- 
cation. 

Instead  of  being  enclosed  in  a  telescope-case,  it  was 
this  time  secured  in    a   preserved-meat  tin,  hermetically 
sealed,  and  stamped  with  the  same  initials   on  the  wax 
that  fastened  it.     The  greatest  care  was  used  in  opening  ' 
it,  and  it  was  found  to  contain  the  following  message : — 

"  Gallia  (?) 
Ab  sole,  au  i  mars,  dist.  78,000,000  1.  ! 
Chemin  parcouru  de  fev.  a  mars  :  59,000,000  L  i 
Va  bene  1    All  right !    Nil  desperandum  I 
Enchante  !  " 

"  Another  enigma  !  "  exclaimed  Servadac  ;  "  and  still 
no  intelligible  signature,  and  no  address.  No  clearing  up 
of  the  mystery  !  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt,  in  my  own  mind,"  said  the  count, 
"  that  it  is  one  of  a  series.  It  setms  to  me  probable  that 
they  are  being  sent  broadcast  upon  the  sea." 

"  I  wonder  where  the  hare-brained  savant  that  write.% 
them  can  be  living  .-*  "  observed  Servadac. 

"Very  likely  he  may  have  met  with  the  fate  of  -(EsopV 
abstracted  astronomer,  who  found  himself  at  the  bottom  of 
a  well." 

"  Ay  ;  but  where  is  that  well }  "  demanded  the  captain. 

This  was  a  question  which  the  count  was  incapable  of 
settling  ;  and  they  could  only  speculate  afresh  as  to  whether 
the  author  of  the  riddles  was  dwelling  upon  some  solitary 
island,  or,  like  themselves,  was  navigating  the  waters  of 
the  new  Mediterranean.  But  they  could  detect  nothing  to 
guide  them  to  a  definite  decision. 

After  thoughtfully  regarding  the  document  for  some 
time,  Lieutenant  Procope  proceeded  to  observe  that  he 
believed  the  paper  might  be  considered  as  genuine,  and 
accordingly,  taking  its  statements  as  reliable,  he  deduced 
two  important  conclusions :  first,  that  whereas,  in  the 
month  of   January,  the  distance  travelled  by  the  planet 

K 


130  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


(hypothetlcally  called  Gallia)  had  been  recorded  as 
82,000,000  leagues,  the  distance  travelled  in  February 
was  only  59,000,000  leagues — a  difference  of  23,000,000 
leagues  in  one  month  ;  secondly,  that  the  distance  of  the 
planet  from  the  sun,  which  on  the  15  th  of  February  had 
been  59,000,000  leagues,  was  on  the  ist  of  March  78,000,000 
leagues — an  increase  of  19,000,000  leagues  in  a  fortnight. 
Thus,  in  proportion  as  Gallia  receded  from  the  sun,  so  did 
the  rate  of  speed  diminish  by  which  she  travelled  along 
her  orbit :  facts  to  be  observed  in  perfect  conformity  with 
the  known  laws  of  celestial  mechanism, 

"  And  your  inference  ?  "  asked  the  count 

"  My  inference,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  "  is  a  confir- 
mation of  my  surmise  that  we  are  following  an  orbit 
decidedly  elliptical,  although  we  have  not  yet  the  material 
to  determine  its  eccentricity." 

"  As  the  writer  adheres  to  the  appellation  of  Gallia,  do 
you  not  think,"  asked  the  count,  "  that  we  might  call  these 
new  waters  the  Gallian  Sea  .? " 

"  There  can  be  no  reason  to  the  contrary,  count,"  re- 
plied the  lieutenant ;  "  and  as  such  I  will  insert  it  upon  my 
new  chart." 

"Our  friend,"  said  Servadac,  "seems  to  be  more  and 
more  gratified  with  the  condition  of  things  ;  not  only  has 
he  adopted  our  motto,  'Nil  desperandimi !'  but  see  how 
enthusiastically  he  has  wound  up  with  his  '  Enc/iantd  T  " 

The  conversation  dropped. 

A  few  hours  later  the  man  on  watch  announced  that 
Gourbi  Island  was  in  sight 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

AN  UNEXPECTED  POPULATION. 

The  Dohry7ia  was  now  back  again  at  the  island.  Her 
cruise  had  lasted  from  the  31st  of  January  to  the  5th  of 
March,  a  period  of  thirty-five  days  (for  it  was  leap-year), 
corresponding  to  seventy  days  as  accomplished  by  the  new 
little  world. 

Many  a  time  during  his  absence  Hector  Servadac  had 
wondered  how  his  present  vicissitudes  would  end,  and 
he  had  felt  some  misgivings  as  to  whether  he  should  ever 
again  set  foot  upon  the  island,  and  see  his  faithful  orderly, 
so  that  it  was  not  without  emotion  that  he  had  approached 
the  coast  of  the  sole  remaining  fragment  of  Algerian  soil. 
But  his  apprehensions  were  groundless  ;  Gourbi  Island 
was  just  as  he  had  left  it,  with  nothing  unusual  in  its  aspect, 
except  that  a  very  peculiar  cloud  was  hovering  over  it,  at 
an  altitude  of  little  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  As  the 
yacht  approached  the  shore,  this  cloud  appeared  to  rise 
and  fall  as  if  acted  upon  by  some  invisible  agency,  and  the 
captain,  after  watching  it  carefully,  perceived  that  it  was 
not  an  accumulation  of  vapours  at  all,  but  a  dense  mass  of 
birds  packed  as  closely  together  as  a  swarm  of  herrings,  and 
uttering  deafening  and  discordant  cries,  amidst  which  from 
time  to  time  the  noise  of  the  report  of  a  gun  could  be 
plainly  distinguished. 

The  Dobryna  signalized  her  arrival  by  firing  her 
cannon,  and  dropped  anchor  in   the  little  port  of  the 


132  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

Sheliff.  Almost  within  a  minute  Ben  Zoof  was  seen  run^ 
ning,  gun  in  hand,  towards  the  shore  ;  he  cleared  the  last 
ridge  of  rocks  at  a  single  bound,  and  then  suddenly  halted. 
For  a  few  seconds  he  stood  motionless,  his  eyes  fixed,  as  if 
obeying  the  instructions  of  a  drill-sergeant,  on  a  point  some 
fifteen  yards  distant,  his  whole  attitude  indicatin;j  sub- 
mission and  respect ;  but  the  sight  of  the  captain,  who  was 
landing,  was  too  much  for  his  equanimity,  and  darting 
forward,  he  seized  his  master's  hand  and  covered  it  with 
kisses.  Instead,  however,  of  uttering  any  expressions  of 
welcome  or  rejoicing  at  the  captain's  return,  Ben  Zoof 
broke  out  into  the  most  vehement  ejaculations  : 

"  Thieves,  captain  !  beastly  thieves  !  Bedouins !  pirates ! 
devils ! " 

"Why,  Ben  Zoof,  what's  the  matter?"  said  Servadac 
soothingly. 

"They  are  thieves!  downright,  desperate  thieves!  those 
infernal  birds !  That's  what's  the  matter.  It  is  a  good 
thing  you  have  come.  Here  have  I  for  a  whole  month 
been  spending  my  powder  and  shot  upon  them,  and  the 
more  I  kill  them,  the  worse  they  get ;  and  yet,  if  I  were  to 
leave  them  alone,  we  should  not  have  a  grain  of  corn  upon 
the  island." 

It  was  soon  evident  that  the  orderly  had  only  too 
much  cause  for  alarm.  The  crops  had  ripened  rapidly 
during  the  excessive  heat  of  January,  when  the  orbit  of 
Gallia  was  being  traversed  at  its  perihelion,  and  were  now 
exposed  to  the  depredations  of  many  thousands  of  birds ; 
and  although  a  goodly  number  of  stacks  attested  the 
industry  of  Ben  Zoof  during  the  time  of  the  Dobryna's 
voyage,  it  was  only  too  apparent  that  the  portion  of  the 
harvest  that  remained  ungathered  was  liable  to  the  most 
imminent  risk  of  being  utterly  devoured.  It  was,  perhaps, 
only  natural  that  this  clustered  mass  of  birds,  as  represent- 
ing the  whole  of  the  feathered  tribe  upon  the  surface  of 
Gallia,  should  resort  to  Gourbi  Island,  of  which  the 
meadows  seemed  to  be  the  only  spot  from  which  they 
could  get  sustenance  at  all ;  but  as  this  sustenance  would 


AN  UNEXPECTED   POPULATION.  I33 

be  obtained  at  the  expense,  and  probably  to  the  serious 
detriment,  of  the  human  population,  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  that  every  possible  resistance  should  be  made  to 
the  devastation  that  was  threatened. 

Once  satisfied  that  Servadac  and  his  friends  would 
co-operate  with  him  in  the  raid  upon  "  the  thieves,"  Ben 
Zoof  became  calm  and  content,  and  began  to  make  various 
inquiries. 

"And  what  has  become,"  he  said,  "of  all  our  old 
comrades  in  Africa  ? " 

"  As  far  as  I  can  tell  you,"  answered  the  captain,  "  they 
are  all  in  Africa  still ;  only  Africa  isn't  by  any  means  where 
we  expected  to  find  it." 

"And  France?  Montmartre?"  continued  Ben  Zoof 
eagerly. 

Here  was  the  cry  of  the  poor  fellow's  heart. 

As  briefly  as  he  could,  Servadac  endeavoured  to 
explain  the  true  condition  of  things  ;  he  tried  to  communi- 
cate the  fact  that  Paris,  France,  Europe,  nay,  the  whole 
world  was  more  than  eighty  millions  of  leagues  away 
from  Gourbi  Island ;  as  gently  and  cautiously  as  he  could 
he  expressed  his  fear  that  they  might  never  see  Europe, 
France,  Paris,  Montmartre  again. 

"No,  no,  sir!"  protested  Ben  Zoof  emphatically;  "that 
is  all  nonsense.  It  is  altogether  out  of  the  question  to 
suppose  that  we  are  not  to  see  Montmartre  again." 

And  the  orderly  shook  his  head  resolutely,  with  the  ail 
of  a  man  determined,  in  spite  of  argument,  to  adhere  to  his 
own  opinion. 

"  Very  good,  my  brave  fellov/,"  replied  Servadac  ; 
"hope  on,  hope  while  you  may.  The  message  has  come  to 
us  over  the  sea,  '  Never  despair  ; '  but  one  thing,  neverthe- 
less, is  certain  ;  we  must  forthwith  commence  arrange- 
ments for  making  this  island  our  permanent  home." 

Captain  Servadac  now  led  the  way  to  the  gourbi, 
which,  by  his  servant's  exertions,  had  been  entirely  rebuilt; 
and  here  he  did  the  honours  of  his  modest  establishment  to 
his  two  guests,  the  count  and  the  lieutenant,  and  gave  a 


134  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

welcome,  too,  to  little  Nina,  who  had  accompanied  them  on 
shore,  and  between  whom  and  Ben  Zoof  the  most  friendly 
relations  had  already  been  established. 

The  adjacent  building  continued  in  good  preservation, 
and  Captain  Servadac's  satisfaction  was  very  great  in 
finding  the  two  horses,  Zephyr  and  Galette,  comfortably 
housed  there  and  in  good  condition. 

After  the  enjoyment  of  some  refreshment,  the  party 
proceeded  to  a  general  consultation  as  to  what  steps  must 
be  taken  for  their  future  welfare.  The  most  pressing 
matter  that  came  before  them  was  the  consideration  of  the 
means  to  be  adopted  to  enable  the  inhabitants  of  Gallia  to 
survive  the  terrible  cold,  which,  in  their  ignorance  of  the 
true  eccentricity  of  their  orbit,  might,  for  aught  they  knew, 
last  for  an  almost  indefinite  period.  Fuel  was  far  from 
abundant ;  of  coal  there  was  none ;  trees  and  shrubs  were 
few  in  number,  and  to  cut  them  down  in  prospect  of  the 
cold  seemed  a  very  questionable  policy ;  but  there  was  no 
doubt  some  expedient  must  be  devised  to  prevent  disaster, 
and  that  without  delay. 

The  victualling  of  the  little  colony  offered  no  im- 
mediate difficulty.  Water  was  abundant,  and  the  cisterns 
could  hardly  fail  to  be  replenished  by  the  numerous 
streams  that  meandered  along  the  plains ;  moreover,  the 
Gallian  Sea  would  ere  long  be  frozen  over,  and  the  melted 
ice  (water  in  its  congealed  state  being  divested  of  every 
particle  of  salt)  would  afford  a  supply  of  drink  that  could 
not  be  exhausted.  The  crops  that  were  now  ready  for  the 
harvest,  and  the  flocks  and  herds  scattered  over  the  island, 
would  form  an  ample  reserve.  There  was  little  doubt  that 
throughout  the  winter  the  soil  would  remain  unproductive, 
and  no  fresh  fodder  for  domestic  animals  could  then  be 
obtained ;  it  would  therefore  be  necessary,  if  the  exact 
duration  of  Gallia's  year  should  ever  be  calculated,  to  pro- 
portion the  number  of  animals  to  be  reserved  to  the  real 
length  of  the  winter. 

The  next  thing  requisite  was  to  arrive  at  a  true 
estimate  of  the  number  of  the  population.     Without  in- 


AN   UNEXPECTED   POPULATION.  I35 


eluding  the  thirteen  Englishmen  at  Gibraltar,  about  whom 
he  was  not  particularly  disposed  to  give  himself  much 
concern  at  present,  Servadac  put  down  the  names  of  the 
eight  Russians,  the  two  Frenchmen,  and  the  little  Italian 
girl,  eleven  in  all,  as  the  entire  list  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Gourbi  Island. 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,"  interposed  Ben  Zoof,  "  you  are 
mistaking  the  state  of  the  case  altogether.  You  will  be 
surprised  to  learn  that  there  are  twenty-two  people  on  the 
island." 

"  Twenty- two  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  ;  "  twenty-two 
people  on  this  island  ?     What  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  The  opportunity  has  not  occurred,"  answered  Ben 
Zoof,  "  for  me  to  tell  you  before,  but  I  have  had  company 
here." 

"  Explain  yourself,  Ben  Zoof,"  said  Servadac.  **  What 
company  have  you  had  ? " 

"  You  could  not  suppose,"  replied  the  orderly,  "  that 
my  own  unassisted  hands  could  have  accomplished  all  the 
harvest-work  that  you  see  has  been  done." 

"  I  confess,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope,  "  we  do  not  seem 
to  have  noticed  that." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  "if  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  come  with  me  for  about  a  mile,  I  shall  be  able 
to  show  you  my  companions.  But  we  must  take  our 
guns,"  he  added. 

"  Why  take  our  guns  ? "  asked  Servadac.  "  I  hope  we 
are  not  going  to  fight." 

"No,  not  with  men,"  said  Ben  Zoof;  "but  it  does  not 
answer  to  throw  a  chance  away  for  giving  battle  to  those 
thieves  of  birds." 

Leaving  little  Nina  and  her  goat  in  the  gourbi, 
Servadac,  Count  Timascheff,  and  the  lieutenant,  greatly 
mystified,  took  up  their  guns  and  followed  the  orderly. 
All  along  their  way  they  made  unsparing  slaughter  of  the 
birds  that  hovered  over  and  around  them.  Nearly  every 
species  of  the  feathered  tribe  seemed  to  have  its  repre- 
sentative in  that  living  cloud.     There  were  wild  ducks  in 


136  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

thousands ;  snipe,  larks,  rooks,  and  swallows ;  a  countless 
variety  of  sea-birds — widgeons,  gulls,  and  seamews;  besides 
a  quantity  of  game — quails,  partridges,  and  woodcocks. 
The  sportsmen  did  their  best ;  every  shot  told ;  and  the 
depredators  fell  by  dozens  on  either  hand. 

Instead  of  following  the  northern  shore  of  the  island, 
Ben  Zoof  cut  obliquely  across  the  plain.  Making  their 
progress  with  the  unwonted  rapidity  which  was  attributable 
to  their  specific  lightness,  Servadac  and  his  companions 
soon  found  themselves  near  a  grove  of  sycamores  and 
eucalyptus  massed  in  picturesque  confusion  at  the  base  of 
a  little  hill.     Here  they  halted. 

"  Ah  !  the  vagabonds  !  the  rascals  !  the  thieves  !  " 
suddenly  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  stamping  his  foot  with  rage. 

"  How  now  ?  Are  your  friends  the  birds  at  their  pranks 
again  .-* "  asked  the  captain. 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  the  birds :  I  mean  those  lazy 
beggars  that  are  shirking  their  work.  Look  here ;  look 
there  ! "  And  as  Ben  Zoof  spoke,  he  pointed  to  some 
scythes,  and  sickles,  and  other  implements  of  husbandry 
that  had  been  left  upon  the  ground. 

"  What  is  it  you  mean  ? "  asked  Servadac,  getting 
somewhat  impatient. 

"  Hush,  hush !  listen  !  "  was  all  Ben  Zoof's  reply  ;  and 
he  raised  his  finger  as  if  in  warning. 

Listening  attentively,  Servadac  and  his  associates 
could  distinctly  recognize  a  human  voice,  accompanied  by 
the  notes  of  a  guitar  and  by  the  measured  click  of  castanets. 

"  Spaniards  !  "  said  Servadac. 

"No  mistake  about  that,  sir,"  replied  Ben  Zoof;  "a 
Spaniard  would  rattle  his  castanets  at  the  cannon's 
mouth." 

**  But  what  is  the  meaning  of  it  all  ? "  asked  the 
captain,  more  puzzled  than  before. 

"Hark!"   said  Ben  Zoof;  "it  is  the  old  man's  turn 


now." 


And  then  a  voice,  at  once  gruff  and  harsh,  was  heard 
vociferating : 


AN  UNEXPECTED  POPULATION.  I37 


'*  My  money !  my  money !  when  will  you  pay  me  my 
money  ?     Pay  me  what  you  owe  me,  you  miserable  majos/' 
Meanwhile  the  song  continued  ; 

*'  Tu  sandunga  y  cigarr<\ 

Y  una  cana  de  Jerez, 

Mi  jamelgo  y  un  trabuco. 
Que  mas  gloria  puede  haver? 

•*  Para  Alcarrazas,  chichana. 
Para  trigo,  Trebujena, 

Y  para  ninas  bonitas, 

San  Lucar  de  BaiTaraeda." 

Servadac*s  knowledge  of  Gascon  enabled  him  partially 
to  comprehend  the  rollicking  tenor  of  the  Spanish  patriotic 
air,  but  his  attention  was  again  arrested  by  the  voice  of 
the  old  man  growling  savagely : 

"  Pay  me  you  shall ;  yes,  by  the  God  of  Abraham,  you 
shall  pay  me." 

"A  Jew!"  exclaimed  Servadac. 

"Ay,  sir,  and  worst  of  all,  a  German  Jew,"  said  Ben 
Zoof. 

The  party  was  now  just  on  the  point  of  entering  the 
thicket,  when  a  singular  spectacle  made  them  pause.  A 
group  of  Spaniards  had  just  begun  dancing  their  national 
fandango,  and  the  extraordinary  lightness  which  had 
become  the  physical  property  of  every  object  in  the  new 
planet  made  the  dancers  bound  to  a  height  of  thirty  feet 
or  more  into  the  air,  considerably  above  the  tops  of  the 
trees.  What  followed  was  irresistibly  comic.  Four  sturdy 
majos  had  dragged  along  with  them  an  old  man  incapable 
of  resistance,  and  compelled  him,  nolens  volejis,  to  join  in 
the  dance;  and  as  they  all  kept  appearing  and  disappearing 
above  the  bank  of  foliage,  their  grotesque  attitudes,  com- 
bined with  the  pitiable  countenance  of  their  helpless 
victim,  could  not  do  otherwise  than  recall  most  forcibly  the 
story  of  Sancho  Panza  tossed  in  a  blanket  by  the  merry 
drapers  of  Segovia. 

Servadac,  the  count,  Procope,  and  Ben  Zoof  now  pro- 
ceeded to  make  their  way  through  the  thicket  until  they 


138  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


came  to  a  little  glade,  where  they  came  upon  two  men 
stretched  idly  on  the  grass,  one  of  them  playing  the  guitar, 
and  the  other  a  pair  of  castanets ;  both  were  exploding 
with  laughter,  as  they  urged  the  performers  to  greater  and 
yet  greater  exertions  in  the  dance.  At  the  sight  of 
strangers  they  paused  in  their  music,  and  simultaneously 
the  dancers,  with  their  victim,  alighted  gently  on  the 
sward.  Breathless  and  half  exhausted  as  was  the  Jew,  he 
rushed  with  an  effort  towards  Servadac,  and  exclaimed  in 
French,  marked  by  a  strong  Teutonic  accent : 

"  Oh,  my  lord  governour,  help  me,  help  !  These  rascals 
defraud  me  of  my  rights  ;  they  rob  me ;  but,  in  the  name 
of  the  God  of  Israel,  I  ask  you  to  see  justice  done  !  " 

The  captain  glanced  inquiringly  towards  Ben  Zoof, 
and  the  orderly,  by  a  significant  nod,  made  his  master 
understand  that  he  was  to  play  the  part  that  was  implied 
by  the  title.  He  took  the  cue,  and  promptly  ordered  the 
Jew  to  hold  his  tongue  at  once.  The  man  bowed  his  head 
in  servile  submission,  and  folded  his  hands  upon  his  breast. 

Servadac  surveyed  him  leisurely. 

He  was  a  man  of  about  fifty,  but  from  his  appearance 
might  well  have  been  taken  for  at  least  ten  years  older. 
Small  and  skinny,  with  eyes  bright  and  cunning,  a  hooked 
nose,  a  short  yellow  beard,  unkempt  hair,  huge  feet,  and 
long  bony  hands,  he  presented  all  the  typical  characteris- 
tics of  the  German  Jew,  the  heartless,  wily  usurer,  the 
hardened  miser  and  skinflint.  As  iron  is  attracted  by  the 
magnet,  so  was  this  Shylock  attracted  by  the  sight  of  gold, 
nor  would  he  have  hesitated  to  draw  the  life-blood  of  his 
creditors,  if  by  such  means  he  could  secure  his  claims. 
Although  by  descent  and  birth  a  Jew,  he  was  ready  to 
profess  himself  a  Mahometan  or  a  heathen  whenever 
circumstances  arose  which  he  thought  might  be  turned  to 
his  own  advantage. 

His  name  was  Isaac  Hakkabut,  and  he  was  a  native  of 
the  Prussian  (now  German)  city  of  Cologne.  Nearly  the 
whole  of  his  time,  however,  he  informed  Captain  Servadac, 
had  been  spent  upon  the  sea,  his  real  business  being  that 


AN   UNEXPECTED   POPULATION.  1 39 

of  a  merchant  trading  at  all  the  ports  of  the  Mediterranean. 
A  tartan,  a  small  vessel  of  two  hundred  tons  burden,  con- 
veyed his  entire  stock  of  merchandise,  and,  to  say  the  truth, 
was  a  sort  of  floating  emporium,  conveying  nearly  every 
possible  article  of  commerce,  from  a  lucifer  match  to  the 
radiant  fabrics  of  Frankfort  and  Epinal.  Without  wife  or 
children,  and  having  no  settled  home,  Isaac  Hakkabut 
lived  almost  entirely  on  board  the  Hansa,  as  he  had 
named  his  tartan  ;  and  engaging  a  mate,  with  a  crew  of 
three  men,  as  being  adequate  to  work  so  light  a  craft,  he 
cruised  along  the  coasts  of  Algeria,  Tunis,  Egypt,  Turkey, 
and  Greece,  visiting,  moreover,  most  of  the  harbours  of  the 
Levant.  Careful  to  be  always  well  supplied  with  the 
products  in  most  general  demand — coffee,  sugar,  rice, 
tobacco,  cotton-stuffs,  and  gunpowder — and  being  at  all 
times  ready  to  barter,  and  prepared  to  deal  in  second-hand 
wares,  he  had  contrived  to  amass  considerable  wealth. 

On  the  eventful  night  of  the  ist  of  January  the  Hansa 
had  been  at  Ceuta,  the  point  on  the  coast  of  Morocco 
exactly  opposite  Gibraltar.  The  mate  and  three  sailors 
had  all  gone  on  shore,  and,  in  common  with  many  of  their 
fellow-creatures,  had  entirely  disappeared  ;  but  the  most 
projecting  rock  of  Ceuta  had  been  undisturbed  by  the 
general  catastrophe,  and  half  a  score  of  Spaniards,  who 
had  happened  to  be  upon  it,  had  escaped  with  their  lives. 
They  were  all  Andalusian  majos,  agricultural  labourers,  and 
naturally  as  careless  and  apathetic  as  men  of  their  class 
usually  are,  but  they  could  not  help  being  very  considerably 
embarrassed  when  they  discovered  that  they  were  left  in 
solitude  upon  a  detached  and  isolated  rock.  They  took 
what  mutual  counsel  they  could,  but  became  only  more 
and  more  perplexed.  One  of  them  was  named  Negrete, 
and  he,  as  having  travelled  somewhat  more  than  the  rest, 
was  tacitly  recognized  as  a  sort  of  leader  ;  but  although  he 
was  by  far  the  most  enlightened  of  them  all,  he  was  quite 
incapable  of  forming  the  least  conception  of  the  nature  of 
what  had  occurred.  The  one  thing  upon  which  they  could 
not  fail  to  be  conscious  was  that  they  had  no  prospect  of 


I40  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

obtaining  provisions,  and  consequently  their  first  business 
was  to  devise  a  scheme  for  getting  away  from  their  present 
abode.  The  Hansa  was  lying  off  shore.  The  Spaniards 
would  not  have  had  the  slightest  hesitation  in  summarily 
taking  possession  of  her,  but  their  utter  ignorance  of  sea- 
manship made  them  reluctantly  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  more  prudent  policy  was  to  make  terms  with  the  owner. 

And  now  came  a  singular  part  of  the  story.  Negrete 
and  his  companions  had  meanwhile  received  a  visit  from 
two  English  officers  from  Gibraltar.  What  passed  between 
them  the  Jew  did  not  know ;  he  only  knew  that,  im- 
mediately after  the  conclusion  of  the  interview,  Negrete 
came  to  him  and  ordered  him  to  set  sail  at  once  for  the 
nearest  point  of  Morocco.  The  Jew,  afraid  to  disobey,  but 
with  his  eye  ever  upon  the  main  chance,  stipulated  that  at 
the  end  of  their  voyage  the  Spaniards  should  pay  for  their 
passage — terms  to  which,  as  they  would  to  any  other,  they 
did  not  demur,  knowing  that  they  had  not  the  slightest 
intention  of  giving  him  a  single  real. 

The  Hansa  had  weighed  anchor  on  the  3rd  of  Feb- 
ruary. The  wind  blew  from  the  west,  and  consequently 
the  working  of  the  tartan  was  easy  enough.  The  un- 
practised sailors  had  only  to  hoist  their  sails  and,  though 
they  were  quite  unconscious  of  the  fact,  the  breeze  carried 
them  to  the  only  spot  upon  the  little  world  they  occupied 
which  could  afford  them  a  refuge. 

Thus  it  fell  out  that  one  morning  Ben  Zoof,  from  his 
look-out  on  Gourbi  Island,  saw  a  ship,  not  the  Dobryna, 
appear  upon  the  horizon,  and  make  quietly  down  towards 
what  had  formerly  been  the  right  bank  of  the  Sheliff. 

Such  was  Ben  Zoof's  version  of  what  had  occurred,  as 
he  had  gathered  it  from  the  new-comers.  He  wound  up 
his  recital  by  remarking  that  the  cargo  of  the  Hansa 
would  be  of  immense  service  to  them ;  he  expected,  indeed, 
that  Isaac  Hakkabut  would  be  difficult  to  manage,  but 
considered  there  could  be  no  harm  in  appropriating  the 
goods  for  the  common  welfare,  since  there  could  be  no 
opportunity  now  for  selling  them. 


I 


AN   UNEXPECTED   POPULATION.  I4.I 


Ben  Zoof  added : 

"And  as  to  the  difficulties  between  the  Jew  and  his 
passengers,  I  told  him  that  the  governour-general  was 
absent  on  a  tour  of  inspection,  and  that  as  soon  as  he 
came  back  he  would  see  everything  equitably  settled." 

Smiling  at  his  orderly's  tactics,  Servadac  turned  to 
Hakkabut,  and  told  him  that  he  would  take  care  that  his 
claims  should  be  duly  investigated  and  all  proper  demands 
should  be  paid. 

The  man  appeared  satisfied,  and,  for  the  time  at  least, 
desisted  from  his  complaints  and  importunities. 

When  the  Jew  had  retired,  Count  Timaschefif  asked  : 

"  But  how  in  the  world  can  you  ever  make  those  fellows 
pay  anything  ? " 

"  They  have  lots  of  money,"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"Not  likely,"  replied  the  count;  "when  did  you  ever 
know  Spaniards  like  them  to  have  lots  of  money  ? " 

"But  I  have  seen  it  myself,"  said  Ben  Zoof;  "and  it 
is  English  money." 

"  English  money ! "  echoed  Servadac  ;  and  his  mind 
again  reverted  (as  it  had  done  upon  the  first  mention  of  a 
visit  from  English  officers  to  the  Spaniards)  to  the  ex- 
cursion made  by  the  colonel  and  the  major  from  Gibraltar, 
and  about  which  they  had  been  so  reticent. 

"We  must  inquire  more  about  this,"  he  said. 

Then,  addressing  Count  Timaschefif,  he  added  : 

"  Altogether,  I  think,  count,  the  countries  of  Europe  are 
fairly  represented  by  the  population  of  Gallia." 

"  True,  captain,"  answered  the  count ;  "  we  have  only 
a  fragment  of  a  world,  but  it  contains  natives  of  France, 
Russia,  Italy,  Spain,  and  England.  Even  Germany  may 
be  said  to  have  a  representative  in  the  person  of  this 
miserable  Jew." 

"  And  even  in  him,"  said  Servadac,  "  perhaps  we  shall 
not  find  so  indifferent  a  representative  as  we  at  present 
imagine." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Gallia's  governour-general. 

The  Spaniards  who  had  arrived  on  board  the  Hansa  con- 
sisted of  nine  men  and  a  lad  of  twelve  years  of  age,  named 
Pablo.  They  all  received  Captain  Servadac,  whom  Ben 
Zoof  introduced  as  the  governour-general,  with  due  respect, 
and  partook  themselves  quickly  to  their  separate  tasks. 
The  captain  and  his  friends,  followed  at  some  distance  by 
the  eager  Jew,  soon  left  the  glade  and  directed  their  steps 
towards  the  coast  where  the  Hansa  was  moored. 

As  they  went  they  discussed  their  situation.  As  far  as 
they  had  ascertained,  except  Gourbi  Island,  the  sole  sur- 
viving fragments  of  the  Old  World  were  four  small  islands  : 
the  bit  of  Gibraltar  occupied  by  the  Englishmen  ;  Ceuta, 
which  had  just  been  left  by  the  Spaniards  ;  Madalena, 
where  they  had  picked  up  the  little  Italian  girl ;  and  the 
site  of  the  tomb  of  Saint  Louis  on  the  coast  of  Tunis. 
Around  these  there  was  stretched  out  the  full  extent  of 
the  Gallian  Sea,  which  apparently  comprised  about  one- 
half  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  whole  being  encompassed 
by  a  barrier  like  a  framework  of  precipitous  cliffs,  of  an 
origin  and  a  substance  alike  unknown. 

Of  all  these  spots  only  two  were  known  to  be  inhabited : 
Gibraltar,  where  the  thirteen  Englishmen  were  amply  pro- 
visioned for  some  years  to  come,  and  their  own  Gourbi 
Island.  Here  there  was  a  population  of  twenty-two,  who 
would  all  have  to  subsist  upon  the  natural  products  of  the 


GALLIA'S   GOVERNOUR-GENERAL.  14;? 


soil.  It  was  indeed  not  to  be  forgotten  that,  perchance, 
upon  some  remote  and  undiscovered  isle  there  might  be 
the  solitary  writer  of  the  mysterious  papers  which  they 
had  found,  and  if  so,  that  would  raise  the  census  of  their 
new  asteroid  to  an  aggregate  of  thirty-six. 

Even  upon  the  supposition  that  at  some  future  date 
the  whole  population  should  be  compelled  to  unite  and 
find  a  residence  upon  Gourbi  Island,  there  did  not  appear 
any  reason  to  question  but  that  eight  hundred  acres  of  rich 
soil,  under  good  management,  would  yield  them  all  an  ample 
sustenance.  The  only  critical  matter  was  how  long  the 
cold  season  would  last ;  every  hope  depended  upon  the 
land  again  becoming  productive ;  at  present,  it  seemed 
impossible  to  determine,  even  if  Gallia's  orbit  were  really 
elliptic,  when  she  would  reach  her  aphelion,  and  it  was 
consequently  necessary  that  the  Gallians  for  the  time 
being  should  reckon  on  nothing  beyond  their  actual  and 
present  resources. 

These  resources  were,  first,  the  provisions  of  the  Do- 
bryna,  consisting  of  preserved  meat,  sugar,  wine,  brandy, 
and  other  stores  sufficient  for  about  two  months;  secondly, 
the  valuable  cargo  of  the  Hansa,  which,  sooner  or  later, 
the  owner,  whether  he  would  or  not,  must  be  compelled  to 
surrender  for  the  common  benefit ;  and  lastly,  the  produce 
of  the  island,  animal  and  vegetable,  which  with  proper 
economy  might  be  made  to  last  for  a  considerable  period. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation.  Count  Timascheff" 
took  an  opportunity  of  saying  that,  as  Captain  Servadac 
had  already  been  presented  to  the  Spaniards  as  governour 
of  the  island,  he  thought  it  advisable  that  he  should  really 
assume  that  position. 

"  Every  body  of  men,"  he  observed,  "  must  have  a  head, 
and  you,  as  a  Frenchman,  should,  I  think,  take  the  com- 
mand of  this  fragment  of  a  French  colony.  My  men,  I 
can  answer  for  it,  are  quite  prepared  to  recognize  you  as 
their  superior  officer." 

"  Most  unhesitatingly,"  replied  Servadac,  "  I  accept  the 
post  with  all  its   responsibilities.      We   understand  each 


£44  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


other  so  well  that  I  feel  sure  we  shall  try  and  work  to^ethef 
for  the  common  good  ;  and  even  if  it  be  our  fate  never 
again  to  behold  our  fellow-creatures,  I  have  no  misgivings 
but  that  we  shall  be  able  to  cope  with  whatever  difficulties 
may  be  before  us." 

As  he  spoke,  he  held  out  his  hand.  The  count  took  it, 
at  the  same  time  making  a  slight  bow.  It  was  the  first 
time  since  their  meeting  that  the  two  men  had  shaken 
hands ;  on  the  other  hand,  not  a  single  word  about  their 
former  rivalry  had  ever  escaped  their  lips ;  perhaps  that 
was  all  forgotten  now. 

The  silence  of  a  few  moments  was  broken  by  Servadac 
saying : 

"  Do  you  not  think  we  ought  to  explain  our  situation 
to  the  Spaniards  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  your  Excellency,"  burst  in  Ben  Zoof,  empha- 
tically; "the  fellows  are  chicken-hearted  enough  already; 
only  tell  them  what  has  happened,  and  in  sheer  despond- 
ency they  will  not  do  another  stroke  of  work." 

"  Besides,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope,  who  took  very 
much  the  same  view  as  the  orderly,  "  they  are  so  miserably 
ignorant  they  would  be  sure  to  misunderstand  you." 

"  Understand  or  misunderstand,"  replied  Servadac,  "  I 
do  not  think  it  matters.  They  would  not  care.  They  are 
all  fatalists.  Only  give  them  a  guitar  and  their  castanets, 
and  they  will  soon  forget  all  care  and  anxiety.  For  my 
own  part,  I  must  adhere  to  my  belief  that  it  will  be  ad- 
visable to  tell  them  everything.  Have  you  any  opinion 
to  offer,  count  ?  " 

"My  own  opinion,  captain,  coincides  entirely  with 
yours.  I  have  followed  the  plan  of  explaining  all  I  could 
to  my  men  on  board  the  DobiynUy  and  no  inconvenience 
has  arisen." 

"  Well,  then,  so  let  it  be,"  said  the  captain  ;  adding, 
"  It  is  not  likely  that  these  Spaniards  are  so  ignorant  as 
not  to  have  noticed  the  change  in  the  length  of  the  days ; 
neither  can  they  be  unaware  of  the  physical  changes  that 
have  transpired.      They  shall  certainly  be  told   that  we 


GALLIA'S  GOVERNOUR-GENERAL.  I45 

are  being  carried  away  into  unknown  regions  of  space,  and 
that  this  island  is  nearly  all  that  remains  of  the  Old  World." 

•*  Ha,  ha !  "  laughed  Ben  Zoof,  aloud  ;  "  it  will  be  fine 
sport  to  watch  the  old  Jew's  face,  when  he  is  made  to  com- 
prehend that  he  is  flying  away  millions  and  millions  of 
leagues  from  all  his  debtors." 

Isaac  Hakkabut  was  about  fifty  yards  behind,  and  was 
consequently  unable  to  overhear  the  conversation.  He 
went  shambling  along,  half  whimpering  and  not  unfre- 
quently  invoking  the  God  of  Israel ;  but  every  now  and 
then  a  cunning  light  gleamed  from  his  eyes,  and  his  lips 
became  compressed  with  a  grim  significance. 

None  of  the  recent  phenomena  had  escaped  his  notice, 
and  more  than  once  he  had  attempted  to  entice  Ben  Zoof 
into  conversation  upon  the  subject  ;  but  the  orderly  made 
no  secret  of  his  antipathy  to  him,  and  generally  replied  to 
his  advances  either  by  satire  or  by  banter.  He  told  him 
that  he  had  everything  to  gain  under  the  new  system  of 
nights  and  days,  for,  instead  of  living  the  Jew's  ordinary 
life  of  a  century,  he  would  reach  to  the  age  of  two  cen- 
turies ;  and  he  congratulated  him  upon  the  circumstance 
of  things  having  become  so  light,  because  it  would  prevent 
him  feeling  the  burden  of  his  years.  At  another  time  he 
would  declare  that,  to  an  old  usurer  like  him,  it  could  not 
matter  in  the  least  what  had  become  of  the  moon,  as  he 
could  not  possibly  have  advanced  any  money  upon  her. 
And  when  Isaac,  undaunted  by  his  jeers,  persevered  in 
besetting  him  with  questions,  he  tried  to  silence  him  by 
saying : 

**  Only  wait  till  the  governour-general  comes  ;  he  is  a 
shrewd  fellow,  and  will  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  But  will  he  protect  my  property  ?  "  poor  Isaac  would 
ask  tremulously. 

"  To  be  sure  he  will !  He  would  confiscate  it  all  rather 
than  that  you  should  be  robbed  of  it." 

With  this  Job's  comfort  the  Jew  had  been  obliged  to 
c-.ntent  himself  as  best  he  could,  and  to  await  the  promised 
arrival  of  the  governour. 


146  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

When  Servadac  and  his  companions  reached  the  shore, 
they  found  that  the  Hansa  had  anchored  in  an  exposed 
bay,  protected  but  barely  by  a  few  projecting  rocks,  and  in 
Buch  a  position  that  a  gale  rising  from  the  west  would  in- 
evitably drive  her  on  to  the  land,  where  she  must  be  dashed 
in  pieces.  It  would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  leave  her  in 
her  present  moorings  ;  without  loss  of  time  she  must  be 
brought  round  to  the  mouth  of  the  Shelif,  in  immediate 
proximity  to  the  Russian  yacht. 

The  consciousness  that  his  tartan  was  the  subject  of 
discussion  made  the  Jew  give  way  to  such  vehement 
ejaculations  of  anxiety,  that  Servadac  turned  round  and 
peremptorily  ordered  him  to  desist  from  his  clamour. 
Leaving  the  old  man  under  the  surveillance  of  the  count 
and  Ben  Zoof,  the  captain  and  the  lieutenant  stepped 
into  a  small  boat  and  were  soon  alongside  the  floating 
emporium. 

A  very  short  inspection  sufficed  to  make  them  aware 
that  both  the  tartan  and  her  cargo  were  in  a  perfect  state 
of  preservation.  In  the  hold  were  sugar-loaves  by  hundreds, 
chests  of  tea,  bags  of  coffee,  hogsheads  of  tobacco,  pipes 
of  wine,  casks  of  brandy,  barrels  of  dried  herrings,  bales 
of  cotton,  clothing  of  every  kind,  shoes  of  all  sizes, 
caps  of  various  shape,  tools,  household  utensils,  china  and 
earthenware,  reams  of  paper,  bottles  of  ink,  boxes  of 
lucifer  matches,  blocks  of  salt,  bags  of  pepper  and  spices, 
a  stock  of  huge  Dutch  cheeses,  and  a  collection  of  almanacks 
and  miscellaneous  literature.  At  a  rough  guess  the  value 
could  not  be  much  under  ^^5000  sterling.  A  new  cargo 
had  been  taken  in  only  a  few  days  before  the  catastrophe, 
and  it  had  been  Isaac  Ilakkabut's  intention  to  cruise  from 
Ceuta  to  Tripoli,  calling  Avherever  he  had  reason  to  believe 
there  was  likely  to  be  a  market  for  any  of  his  commo- 
dities. 

"  A  fine  haul,  lieutenant,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  lieutenant ;  "  but  what  if  the 
owner  refuses  to  part  with  it .-'  " 

"  No  fear  ;  no  fear."  replied  the  captain.     **  As  soon  as 


Gallia's  governour-general.  147 


ever  the  old  rascal  finds  that  there  are  no  more  Arabs  or 
Algerians  for  him  to  fleece,  he  will  be  ready  enough  to 
transact  a  little  business  with  us.  We  will  pay  him  by  bills 
of  acceptance  on  some  of  his  old  friends  in  the  Old  World." 

"  But  why  should  he  want  any  payment  ?  "  inquired  the 
lieutenant.  "  Under  the  circumstances,  he  must  know  that 
you  have  a  right  to  make  a  requisition  of  his  goods," 

"  No,  no,"  quickly  rejoined  Servadac  ;  "we  will  not  do 
that.  Just  because  the  fellow  is  a  German  we  shall  not  be 
justified  in  treating  him  in  German  fashion.  We  will 
transact  our  business  in  a  business  way.  Only  let  him 
once  realize  that  he  is  on  a  new  globe,  with  no  prospect  of 
getting  back  to  the  old  one,  and  he  will  be  ready  enough 
to  come  to  terms  with  us." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  replied  the  lieutenant ;  "  I 
hope  you  are.  But  anyhow,  it  will  not  do  to  leave  the 
tartan  here ;  not  only  would  she  be  in  danger  in  the  event 
of  a  storm,  but  it  is  very  questionable  whether  she  could 
resist  the  pressure  of  the  ice,  if  the  water  were  to  freeze." 

*'  Quite  true,  Procope ;  and  accordingly  I  give  you  the 
commission  to  see  that  your  crew  bring  her  round  to 
the  Shelif  as  soon  as  may  be." 

"  To-morrow  morning  it  shall  be  done,"  answered  the 
lieutenant,  promptly. 

Upon  returning  to  the  shore,  it  was  arranged  that 
the  whole  of  the  little  colony  should  forthwith  assemble 
at  the  gourbi.  The  Spaniards  were  summoned,  and  Isaac, 
although  he  could  only  with  reluctance  take  his  wistful 
gaze  from  his  tartan,  obeyed  the  governour's  orders  to 
follow. 

An  hour  later  and  the  entire  population  of  twenty-two 
had  met  in  the  chamber  adjoining  the  gourbi.  Young 
Pablo  made  his  first  acquaintance  with  little  Nina,  and  the 
child  seemed  highly  delighted  to  find  a  companion  so 
nearly  of  her  own  age. 

Leaving  the  children  to  entertain  each  other,  Captain 
Servadac  began  his  address. 

Before  entering  upon  further  explanation,  he  said  that 


148  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


he  counted  upon  the  cordial  co-operation  of  them  all  for 
the  common  welfare. 

Negrete  interrupted  him  by  declaring  that  no  promises 
or  pledges  could  be  given  until  he  and  his  countrymen 
knew  how  soon  they  could  be  sent  back  to  Spain. 

"  To  Spain,  do  you  say  ?  "  asked  Servadac. 

**To  Spain  !  "  echoed  Isaac  Hakkabut,  with  a  hideous 
yeU.     "  Do  they  expect  to  go  back  to  Spain  till  they  have  • 
paid  their  debts  .-•     Your  Excellency,  they  owe  me  twenty 
reals  apiece  for  their   passage  here  ;    they  owe  me  two 
hundred  reals.     Are  they  to  be  allowed  .,..?" 

"  Silence,  Mordecai,  you  fool !  "  shouted  Ben  Zoof,  who 
was  accustomed  to  call  the  Jew  by  any  Hebrew  name  that 
came  uppermost  to  his  memory.    "  Silence !  " 

Servadac  was  disposed  to  appease  the  old  man's 
anxiety  by  promising  to  see  that  justice  was  ultimately 
done ;  but,  in  a  fever  of  frafitic  excitement,  he  went  on 
to  implore  that  he  might  have  the  loan  of  a  few  sailors 
to  carry  his  ship  to  Algiers. 

"  I  will  pay  you  honestly ;  I  will  pay  you  welll'  he 
cried  ;  but  his  ingrained  propensity  for  making  a  good 
bargain  prompted  him  to  add,  "  provided  you  do  not  over- 
charge me." 

Ben  Zoof  was  about  again  to  interpose  some  angry 
exclamation ;  but  Servadac  checked  him,  and  continued  in 
Spanish  : 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  friends.  SometJiing  very  strange 
has  happened.  A  most  wonderful  event  has  cut  us  off 
from  Spain,  from  France,  from  Italy,  from  every  country 
of  Europe.  In  fact,  we  have  left  the  Old  World  entirely. 
Of  the  whole  earth,  nothing  remains  except  this  island  on 
which  you  are  now  taking  refuge.  The  old  globe  is  far,  far 
away.  Our  present  abode  is  but  an  insignificant  fragment 
that  is  left.  I  dare  not  tell  you  that  there  is  any  chance 
of  your  ever  again  seeing  your  country  or  your  homes." 

He  paused. 

The  Spaniards  evidently  had  no  conception  of  his 
meaning. 


GALLIA'S   GOVERNOUR-GENERAL.  149 

Negrete  begged  him  to  tell  them  all  again. 

He  repeated  all  that  he  had  said,  and  by  introducing 
some  illustrations  from  familiar  things,  he  succeeded  to  a 
certain  extent  in  conveying  some  faint  idea  of  the  convul- 
sion that  had  happened. 

The  event  was  precisely  what  he  had  foretold.  The 
communication  was  received  by  all  alike  with  the  most 
supreme  indiiTerence. 

Hakkabut  did  not  say  a  word.  He  had  listened  with 
manifest  attention,  his  lips  twitching  now  and  then  as  if 
suppressing  a  smile. 

Servadac  turned  to  him,  and  asked  whether  he  was  still 
disposed  to  put  out  to  sea  and  make  for  Algiers. 

The  Jew  gave  a  broad  grin,  which,  however,  he  was 
careful  to  conceal  from  the  Spaniards. 

"  Your  Excellency  jests,"  he  said  in  French ;  and  turning 
to  Count  Timascheff,  he  added  in  Russian:  "The  governour 
has  made  up  a  wonderful  tale." 

The  count  turned  his  back  in  disgust,  while  the  Jew 
sidled  up  to  little  Nina  and  muttered  in  Italian  : 

"A  lot  of  lies,  pretty  one  ;  a  lot  of  lies  !  " 

"Confound  the  knave!"  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof;  "he 
gabbles  every  tongue  under  the  sun  !  " 

**  Yes,"  said  Servadac  ;  "  but  whether  he  speaks  French, 
Russian,  Spanish,  German,  or  Italian,  he  is  neither  more 
nor  less  than  a  Jew." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  LIGHT  ON  THE  HORIZON. 

On  the  following  day,  without  giving  himself  any  further 
concern  about  the  Jew's  increduhty,  the  captain  gave 
orders  for  the  Hansa  to  be  shifted  round  to  the  harbour  of 
the  SheHff.  Hakkabut  raised  no  objection,  not  only  be- 
cause he  was  aware  that  the  move  insured  the  immediate 
safety  of  his  tartan,  but  because  he  was  secretly  entertain- 
ing the  hope  that  he  might  entice  away  two  or  three  of 
the  Dobryna's  crew  and  make  his  escape  to  Algiers  or 
some  other  port. 

Operations  now  commenced  for  preparing  proper  winter- 
quarters.  Spaniards  and  Russians  alike  joined  heartily  in 
the  work,  the  diminution  of  atmospheric  pressure  and  of 
the  force  of  attraction  contributing  such  an  increase  to 
their  muscular  force  as  materially  facilitated  all  their 
labours. 

The  first  business  was  to  accommodate  the  building 
adjacent  to  the  gourbi  to  the  wants  of  the  little  colony. 
Here  for  the  present  the  Spaniards  were  lodged,  the 
Russians  retaining  their  berths  upon  the  yacht,  while  the 
Jew  was  permitted  to  pass  his  nights  upon  the  Hansa. 
This  arrangement,  however,  could  be  only  temporary. 
The  time  could  not  be  far  distant  when  ships'  sides  and 
ordinary  walls  would  fail  to  give  an  adequate  protection 
from  the  severity  of  the  cold  that  must  be  expected  ;  the 
stock   of  fuel  was  too  limited  to  keep  up  a  permanent 


A  LIGHT  ON   THE  HORIZON.  I5I 


supply  of  heat  in  their  present  quarters,  and  consequently 
they  must  be  driven  to  seek  some  other  refuge,  the  internal 
temperature  of  which  would  at  least  be  bearable. 

The  plan  that  seemed  to  commend  itself  most  to  their 
consideration  was,  that  they  should  dig  out  for  themselves 
some  subterraneous  pits  similar  to  "silos,"  such  as  are 
used  as  receptacles  for  grain.  They  presumed  that  when 
the  surface  of  Gallia  should  be  covered  by  a  thick  layer  of 
ice,  which  is  a  bad  conductor  of  heat,  a  sufficient  amount 
of  warmth  for  animal  vitality  might  still  be  retained  in 
excavations  of  this  kind.  After  a  long  consultation  they 
failed  to  devise  any  better  expedient,  and  were  forced  to 
resign  themselves  to  this  species  of  troglodyte  existence. 

In  one  respect  they  congratulated  themselves  that  they 
should  be  better  off  than  many  of  the  whalers  in  the  polar 
seas,  for  as  it  is  impossible  to  get  below  the  surface  of  a 
frozen  ocean,  these  adventurers  have  to  seek  refuge  in  huts 
of  wood  and  snow  erected  on  their  ships,  which  at  best  can 
give  but  slight  protection  from  extreme  cold ;  but  here, 
with  a  solid  subsoil,  the  Gallians  might  hope  to  dig  down 
a  hundred  feet  or  so  and  secure  for  themselves  a  shelter 
that  would  enable  them  to  brave  the  hardest  severity  of 
climate. 

The  order,  then,  was  at  once  given.  The  work  was 
eommenced.  A  stock  of  shovels,  mattocks,  and  pick-axes 
was  brought  from  the  gourbi,  and  with  Ben  Zoof  as  over- 
seer, both  Spanish  majos  and  Russian  sailors  set  to  work 
with  a  will. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  a  discovery,  more 
unexpected  than  agreeable,  suddenly  arrested  their  labours. 
The  spot  chosen  for  the  excavation  was  a  little  to  the 
right  of  the  gourbi,  on  a  slight  elevation  of  the  soil.  For 
the  first  day  ever>'thing  went  on  prosperously  enough  ;  but 
at  a  depth  of  eight  feet  below  the  surface,  the  navvies 
came  in  contact  with  a  hard  surface,  upon  which  all  their 
tools  failed  to  make  the  slightest  impression.  Servadac 
and  the  count  were  at  once  apprised  of  the  fact,  and  had 
little   difficulty   in    recognizing    the    substance   that    had 


152  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


revealed  itself  as  the  very  same  which  composed  the 
shores  as  well  as  the  subsoil  of  the  Gallian  sea.  It 
evidently  formed  the  universal  substructure  of  the  new 
asteroid.  Means  for  hollowing  it  failed  them  utterly. 
Harder  and  more  resisting  than  granite,  it  could  not  be 
blasted  by  ordinary  powder ;  dynamite  alone  could  suffice 
to  rend  it. 

The  disappointment  was  very  great  Unless  some 
means  of  protection  were  speedily  devised,  death  seemed 
to  be  staring  them  in  the  face.  Were  the  figures  in  the 
mysterious  documents  correct .-'  and  had  Gallia,  according 
to  physical  law,  been  travelling  at  a  rate  that  was  pro- 
gressively increasing  ?  If  so,  she  must  now  be  a  hundred 
millions  of  leagues  from  the  sun,  nearly  three  times  the 
distance  of  the  earth  at  the  remotest  section  of  her  orbit 
The  intensity  of  the  solar  light  and  heat,  too,  was  very 
seriously  diminishing,  although  Gourbi  Island  (being 
on  the  equator  of  an  orb  which  had  its  axes  always  per- 
pendicular to  the  plane  in  which  it  revolved)  enjoyed  a 
position  that  gave  it  a  permanent  summer.  But  no 
advantage  of  this  kind  could  compensate  for  the  remote- 
ness of  the  sun.  The  temperature  fell  steadily;  already, 
to  the  discomfiture  of  the  little  Italian  girl,  nurtured  in 
sunshine,  ice  was  beginning  to  form  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks,  and  manifestly  the  time  was  impending  when  the 
sea  itself  would  freeze. 

Some  shelter  must  be  found  before  the  temperature 
should  fall  to  60°  below  zero.  Otherwise  death  was  in- 
evitable. Hitherto,  for  the  last  few  days,  rhe  thermometer 
had  been  registering  an  average  of  about  6°  below  zero, 
and  it  had  become  matter  of  experience  that  the  stove, 
although  replenished  with  all  the  wood  that  was  available, 
was  altogether  inadequate  to  efi"ect  any  sensible  mitigation 
of  the  severity  of  the  cold.  Nor  could  any  amount  of 
fuel  be  enough.  It  was  certain  that  ere  long  the  very 
mercury  and  spirit  in  the  thermometers  would  be  con- 
gealed. Some  other  resort  must  assuredly  be  soon  found, 
or  they  must  perish.     That  was  clear. 


A  LIGHT   ON   THE  HOkIZON.  1 53 

The  idea  of  betaking  themselves  to  the  Dobryna  and 
Hansa  could  not  for  a  moment  be  seriously  entertained  ; 
not  only  did  the  structure  of  the  vessels  make  them  utterly 
insufficient  to  give  substantial  shelter,  but  they  were  totally 
unfitted  to  be  trusted  as  to  their  stability  when  exposed  to 
the  enormous  pressure  of  the  accumulated  ice. 

Neither  Servadac,  nor  the  count,  nor  Lieutenant  Procope 
were  men  to  be  easily  disheartened,  but  it  could  not  be 
concealed  that  they  felt  themselves  in  circumstances  by 
which  they  were  equally  harassed  and  perplexed.  The 
sole  expedient  that  their  united  counsel  could  suggest  was 
to  obtain  a  refuge  below  ground,  and  that  was  denied  them 
by  the  strange  and  impenetrable  substratum  of  the  soil ; 
yet  hour  by  hour  the  sun's  disc  was  lessening  in  its 
dimensions,  and  although  at  midday  some  faint  radiance 
and  glow  were  to  be  distinguished,  during  the  night  the 
painfulness  of  the  cold  was  becoming  almost  intolerable. 

Mounted  upon  Zephyr  and  Galette,  the  captain  and 
the  count  scoured  the  island  in  search  of  some  available 
retreat  Scarcely  a  yard  of  ground  was  left  unexplored, 
the  horses  clearing  every  obstacle  as  if  they  were,  like 
Pegasus,  furnished  with  wings.  But  all  in  vain.  Sound- 
ings were  made  again  and  again,  but  invariably  with  the 
same  result ;  the  rock,  hard  as  adamant,  never  failed  to 
reveal  itself  within  a  i&sN  feet  of  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

The  excavation  of  any  silo  being  thu»  manifestly  hope- 
less, there  seemed  nothing  to  be  done  except  to  try  and 
render  the  building  alongside  the  gourbi  impervious  to 
frost.  To  contribute  to  the  supply  of  fuel,  orders  were 
given  to  collect  every  scrap  of  wood,  dry  or  green,  that  the 
island  produced  ;  and  this  involved  the  necessity  of  felling 
the  numerous  trees  that  were  scattered  over  the  plain. 
But  toil  as  they  might  at  the  accumulation  of  firewood. 
Captain  Servadac  and  his  companions  could  not  resist  the 
conviction  that  the  consumption  of  a  very  short  period 
would  exhaust  the  total  stock.  And  what  would  happen 
then? 

Studious  if  possible  to  conceal  his  real  misgivings,  and 


154  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

anxious  that  the  rest  of  the  party  should  be  affected  as 
Httle  as  might  be  by  his  own  uneasiness,  Servadac  would 
wander  alone  about  the  island,  racking  his  brain  for  an 
idea  that  would  point  the  way  out  of  the  serious  difficulty. 
But  still  all  in  vain. 

One  day  he  suddenly  came  upon  Ben  Zoof,  and  asked 
him  whether  he  had  no  plan  to  propose.  The  orderly 
shook  his  head,  but  after  a  few  moments'  pondering,  said  : 

"Ah!  master,  if  only  we  were  at  Montmartre,  we 
would  get  shelter  in  the  charming  stone-quarries." 

"  Idiot ! "  replied  the  captain,  angrily,  "  if  we  were  at 
Montmartre,  you  don't  suppose  that  we  should  need  tc 
live  in  stone-quarries  .-' " 

But  the  means  of  preservation  which  human  ingenuity 
had  failed  to  secure  were  at  hand  from  the  felicitous  pro- 
vision of  Nature  herself 

It  was  on  the  loth  of  March  that  the  captain  and 
Lieutenant  Procope  started  off  once  more  to  investigate 
the  north-west  corner  of  the  island;  on  their  way  their 
conversation  naturally  was  engrossed  by  the  subject  of  the 
dire  necessities  which  only  too  manifestly  were  awaiting 
them.  A  discussion  more  than  usually  animated  arose 
between  them,  for  the  two  men  were  not  altogether  of  the 
same  mind  as  to  the  measures  that  ought  to  be  adopted 
in  order  to  open  the  fairest  chance  of  avoiding  a  fatal 
climax  to  their  exposure  ;  the  captain  persisted  that  an 
entirely  new  abode  must  be  sought,  while  the  lieutenant 
was  equally  bent  upon  devising  a  method  of  some  sort  by 
which  their  present  quarters  might  be  rendered  sufficiently 
warm.  All  at  once,  in  the  very  heat  of  his  argument, 
Procope  paused ;  he  passed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  as  if 
to  dispel  a  mist,  and  stood,  with  a  fixed  gaze  centred  on  a 
point  towards  the  south. 

"What  is  that.?"  he  said,  with  a  kind  of  hesitation. 
"  No,  I  am  not  mistaken,"  he  added  ;  "  it  is  a  light  on  the 
horizon." 

"A  light !  "  exclaimed  Servadac  ;  "  show  me  where." 

*  Look  there  I "  answered  the  lieutenant,  and  he  kept 


A  LIGHT  ON   THE   HORIZON.  155 


pointing  steadily  in  its  direction,  until  Servadac  also  dis- 
tinctly saw  the  bright  speck  in  the  distance. 

It  increased  in  clearness  in  the  gathering  shades  of 
evening, 

"  Can  it  be  a  ship  ? "  asked  the  captain. 

"  If  so,  it  must  be  in  flames  ;  otherwise  we  should  not 
be  able  to  see  it  so  far  off,"  replied  Procope. 

"  It  does  not  move,"  said  Servadac ;  "  and  unless  I  am 
deceived,  I  can  hear  a  kind  of  reverberation  in  the  air." 

For  some  seconds  the  two  men  stood  straining  eyes 
and  ears  in  rapt  attention. 

Suddenly  an  idea  struck  Servadac's  mind. 

"  The  volcano ! "  he  cried  ;  "  may  it  not  be  the  volcano 
that  we  saw,  whilst  we  were  on  board  the  Dobryna  ?  " 

The  lieutenant  agreed  that  it  was  very  probable. 

"  Heaven  be  praised ! "  ejaculated  the  captain,  and  he 
went  on  in  the  tones  of  a  keen  excitement :  "  Nature  has 
provided  us  with  our  winter-quarters  ;  the  stream  of  burn- 
ing lava  that  is  flowing  there  is  the  gift  of  a  bounteous 
Providence  ;  it  will  provide  us  all  the  warmth  we  need. 
No  time  to  lose !  To-morrow,  my  dear  Procope,  to-morrow 
we  will  explore  it  all ;  no  doubt  the  life,  the  heat  we  want 
is  reserved  for  us  in  the  heart  and  bowels  of  our  own 
Gallia!" 

Whilst  the  captain  was  indulging  in  his  expressions  of 
enthusiasm,  Procope  was  endeavouring  to  collect  his 
thoughts.  Distinctly  he  remembered  the  long  promontory 
which  had  barred  the  Dobrynds  progress  while  coasting 
the  southern  confines  of  the  sea,  and  which  had  obliged 
her  to  ascend  northwards  as  far  as  the  former  latitude  of 
Oran  ;  he  remembered  also  that  at  the  extremity  of  the 
promontory  there  was  a  rocky  headland  crowned  with 
smoke ;  and  now  he  was  convinced  that  he  was  right  in 
identifying  the  position,  and  in  believing  that  the  smoke 
had  given  place  to  an  eruption  of  flame. 

When  Servadac  gave  him  a  chance  of  speaking,  he 
said  : 

"The   more   I   consider   it,  captain,   the   more   I    am 


I  $6  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


satisfied  •  that  your  conjecture  is  correct.  Beyond  a  doubt, 
what  we  see  is  the  volcano,  and  to-morrow  we  will  not  fail 
to  visit  it." 

On  returning  to  the  gourbi,  they  communicated  their 
discovery  to  Count  Timascheff  only,  deeming  any  further 
publication  of  it  to  be  premature.  The  count  at  once 
placed  his  yacht  at  their  disposal,  and  expressed  his  in- 
tention of  accompanying  them. 

"  The  yacht,  I  think,"  said  Procope,  "  had  better  remain 
where  she  is ;  the  weather  is  beautifully  calm,  and  the 
steam-launch  will  answer  our  purpose  better  ;  at  any  rate, 
it  will  convey  us  much  closer  to  shore  than  the  schooner." 

The  count  replied  that  the  lieutenant  was  by  all  means 
to  use  his  own  discretion,  and  they  all  retired  for  the  night. 

Like  many  other  modern  pleasure-yachts,  the  Dobryna, 
in  addition  to  her  four-oar,  was  fitted  with  a  fast-going 
little  steam-launch,  its  screw  being  propelled,  on  the 
OrioUe  system,  by  means  of  a  boiler,  small  but  very 
eff'.xtive.  Early  next  morning,  this  handy  little  craft  was 
sufficiently  freighted  with  coal  (of  which  there  was  still 
about  ten  tons  on  board  the  Dobryiux),  and  manned  by 
nobody  except  the  captain,  the  count,  and  the  lieutenant, 
left  the  harbour  of  the  Sheliff,  much  to  the  bewilderment  of 
Ben  Zoof,  who  had  not  yet  been  admitted  into  the  secret. 
The  orderly,  however,  consoled  himself  with  the  refloclion 
that  he  had  been  temporarily  invested  with  the  full  powers 
of  governour-general,  an  office  of  which  he  was  not  a  little 
proud. 

The  eighteen  miles  between  the  island  and  the  head- 
land were  made  in  something  less  than  three  hours.  The 
volcanic  eruption  was  manifestly  very  considerable,  the 
entire  summit  of  the  promontory  bemg  enveloped  in 
flames.  To  produce  so  large  a  combustion  either  the 
oxygen  of  Gallia's  atmosphere  had  been  brought  into 
contact  with  the  explosive  gases  contained  beneath  her 
soil,  or  perhaps,  still  more  probably,  the  volcano,  like  those 
in  the  moon,  was  fed  by  an  internal  supply  of  oxygen  of 
her  own. 


A  LIGHT  ON   THE   HORIZON.  157 

It  took  more  than  half  an  hour  to  settle  on  a  suitable 
landing-place.  At  length,  a  small  semi-circular  creek  was 
discovered  among  the  rocks,  which  appeared  advantageous, 
because,  if  circumstances  should  so  require,  it  would  form  a 
safe  anchorage  for  both  '^he  Dobryna  and  the  Hansa. 

The  launch  securely  moored,  the  passengers  landed  on 
the  side  of  the  promontory  opposite  to  that  on  which  a 
torrent  of  burning  lava  was  descending  to  the  sea.  With 
much  satisfaction  they  experienced,  as  they  approached 
the  mountain,  a  sensible  difference  in  the  temperature,  and 
their  spirits  could  not  do  otherwise  than  rise  at  the  pros- 
pect of  having  their  hopes  confirmed,  that  a  deliverance 
from  the  threatened  calamity  had  so  opportunely  been 
found.  On  thev  went,  up  the  steep  acclivity,  scrambling 
over  its  rugged  projections,  scaling  the  irregularities  of  its 
gigantic  strata,  bovnding  from  point  to  point  with  the  agility 
of  chamois,  but  .-ever  alighting  on  anything  except  on  the 
accumulation  of  the  same  hexagonal  prisms  with  which 
they  had  now  become  so  familiar. 

Their  exertions  were  happily  rewarded.  Behind  a 
huge  pyramidal  rock  they  found  a  hole  in  the  mountain- 
side, like  the  mouth  of  a  great  tunnel.  Climbing  up  to 
this  orifice,  which  was  more  than  sixty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  they  ascertained  that  it  opened  into  a  long  dark 
gallery.  They  entered  and  groped  their  way  cautiously 
along  the  sides.  A  continuous  rumbling,  that  increased 
as  they  advanced,  made  them  aware  that  they  must  be 
approaching  the  central  funnel  of  the  volcano  ;  their  only 
fear  was  lest  some  insuperable  wall  of  rock  should  suddenly 
bar  their  further  progress. 

Servadac  was  some  distance  ahead. 

"  Come  on ! "  he  cried  cheerily,  his  voice  ringing 
through  the  darkness,  "  come  on  !  Our  fire  is  lighted  !  no 
stint  of  fuel !  Nature  provides  that !  Let  us  make  haste 
and  warm  ourselves  !  " 

Inspired  by  his  confidence,  the  count  and  the  lieutenant 
?'Jvanced  bravely  along  the  unseen  and  winding  path. 
The  temperature  was  now  at  least  fifteen  degrees  above 


158  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

zero,  and  the  walls  of  the  gallery  were  beginning  to  ieel 
quite  warm  to  the  touch,  an  indication,  not  to  be  over- 
looked, that  the  substance  of  which  the  rock  was  composed 
was  metallic  in  its  nature,  and  capable  of  conducting  heat. 

"  Follow  me ! "  shouted  Servadac  again  ;  "  we  shall 
soon  find  o,  regular  stove !  " 

Onwards  they  made  their  way,  until  at  last  a  sharp 
turn  brought  them  into  a  sudden  flood  of  light.  The 
tunnel  had  opened  mto  a  vast  cavern,  and  the  gloom  was 
exchanged  for  an  illumination  that  was  perfectly  dazzling. 
Although  the  temperature  was  high,  it  was  not  in  any  way 
intolerable. 

One  glance  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  explorers  that 
the  grateful  light  and  heat  of  this  huge  excavation  were  J 

to  be  attributed  to  a  torrent  of  lava  that  was  rolling  down-  m 

wards  to  the  sea,  completely  subtending  the  aperture  of 
the  cave.  Not  inaptly  might  the  scene  be  compared  to 
the  celebrated  Grotto  of  the  Winds  at  the  rear  of  the 
central  fall  of  Niagara,  only  with  the  exception  that  here, 
instead  of  a  curtain  of  rushing  water,  it  was  a  curtain  of 
roaring  flame  that  hung  before  the  cavern's  mouth. 

"  Heaven  be  praised  ! "  cried  Servadac,  with  glad 
emotion ;  "  here  is  all  that  we  hoped  for,  and  more  be' 
sides  1 " 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WINTER-QUARTERS. 

The  habitation  that  had  now  revealed  itself,  well  lighted 
and  thoroughly  warm,  was  indeed  marvellous.  Not  only 
would  it  afford  ample  accommodation  for  Hector  Servadac 
and  "his  subjects,"  as  Ben  Zoof  delighted  to  call  them, 
but  it  would  provide  shelter  for  the  two  horses,  and  for  a 
considerable  number  of  domestic  animals. 

This  enormous  cavern  was  neither  more  nor  less  than 
the  common  junction  of  nearly  twenty  tunnels  (similar  to 
that  which  had  been  traversed  by  the  explorers),  forming 
ramifications  in  the  solid  rock,  and  the  pores,  as  it  were,  by 
which  the  internal  heat  exuded  from  the  heart  of  the 
mountain.  Here,  as  long  as  the  volcano  retained  its 
activity,  every  living  creature  on  the  new  asteroid  might 
brave  the  most  rigorous  of  climates  ;  and  as  Count 
Timascheff  justly  remarked,  since  it  was  the  only  burning 
mountain  they  had  sighted,  it  was  most  probably  the  sole 
outlet  for  Gallia's  subterranean  fires,  and  consequently  the 
eruption  would  continue  unchanged  for  ages  to  come. 

But  not  a  day,  not  an  hour,  was  to  be  lost  now.  The 
steam-launch  returned  to  Gourbi  Island,  and  preparations 
were  forthwith  taken  in  hand  for  conveying  man  and  beast, 
corn  and  fodder,  across  to  the  volcanic  headland.  Loud 
and  hearty  were  the  acclamations  of  the  little  colony, 
especially  of  the  Spaniards,  and  great  was  the  relief  ot 
Nina,  when  Servadac  announced  to  them  the  discovery  of 
their  future  domicile ;  and  with  requickened  energies  they 


l60  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


labourefd  hard  at  the  packing,  anxious  to  reach  their  genia! 
winter-quarters  without  delay. 

For  three  successive  days  the  Dobryna,  laden  to  her 
very  gunwale,  made  a  transit  to  and  fro.  Ben  Zoof  was 
left  upon  the  island  to  superintend  the  stowage  of  the 
freight,  whilst  Servadac  found  abundant  occupation  in 
overlooking  its  disposal  within  the  recesses  of  the  moun> 
tain.  First  of  all,  the  large  store  of  corn  and  fodder,  the 
pi  educe  of  the  recent  harvest,  was  landed  and  deposited  in 
one  of  the  vaults;  then,  on  the  15th,  about  fifty  head  of 
live  cattle — ^buIlocks,  cows,  sheep,  and  pigs — were  conveyed 
to  their  rocky  stalls.  These  were  saved  for  the  sake  of 
preserving  the  several  breeds,  the  bulk  of  the  island  cattle 
being  slaughtered,  as  the  extreme  severity  of  the  climate 
insured  all  meat  remaining  fresh  for  almost  an  indefinite 
period.  The  winter  which  they  were  expecting  would 
probably  be  of  unprecedented  length  ;  it  was  quite  likely 
that  it  would  exceed  the  six  months'  duration  by  which 
many  arctic  explorers  have  been  tried  ;  but  the  population 
of  Gallia  had  no  anxiety  in  the  matter  of  provisions — their 
stock  was  far  more  than  adequate ;  while  as  for  drink,  as 
long  as  they  were  satisfied  with  pure  water,  a  frozen  sea 
would  afford  them  an  inexhaustible  reservoir. 

The  need  for  haste  in  forwarding  their  preparations 
became  more  and  more  manifest ;  the  sea  threatened  to  be 
unnavigable  very  soon,  as  ice  was  already  forming  which 
the  noonday  sun  was  unable  to  melt.  And  if  haste  were 
necessary,  so  also  were  care,  ingenuity,  and  forethought. 
It  was  indispensable  that  the  space  at  their  command 
should  be  properly  utilized,  and  yet  that  the  several 
portions  of  the  store  should  all  be  readily  accessible. 

On  further  investigation  an  unexpected  number  of 
galleries  was  discovered,  so  that,  in  fact,  the  interior  of  the 
mountain  was  like  a  vast  bee-hive  perforated  with  in- 
numerable cells ;  and  in  compliment  to  the  little  Italian  it 
was  unanimously  voted  by  the  colony  that  their  new  home 
should  be  called  "  Nina's  Hive." 

The  first  care  of  Captain  Servadac  was  to  ascertain  how 


A  Slurp  Turn  bnmulit  tliem  into  a  Sudden  Floud  uf  Light. 


WINTER-QUARTERS.  l6l 

he  could  make  the  best  possible  use  of  the  heat  which 
Nature  had  provided  for  them  so  opportunely  and  with  so 
lavish  a  hand.  By  opening  fresh  vents  in  the  solid  rock 
(which  by  the  action  of  the  heat  was  here  capable  of 
fissure)  the  stream  of  burning  lava  was  diverted  into 
several  new  channels,  where  it  could  be  available  for  daily 
use ;  and  thus  Mochel,  the  Dobryna's  cook,  was  furnished 
with  an  admirable  kitchen,  provided  with  a  permanent^ 
stove,  where  he  was  duly  installed  with  all  his  culinary 
apparatus. 

"What  a  saving  of  expense  it  would  be,"  exclaimed 
Ben  Zoof,  "  if  every  household  could  be  furnished  with  its 
own  private  volcano  ! " 

The  large  cavern  at  the  general  junction  of  the 
galleries  was  fitted  up  as  a  drawing-room,  and  arranged 
with  all  the  best  furniture  both  of  the  gourbi  and  of  the 
cabin  of  the  Dohryna.  Hither  was  also  brought  the 
schooner's  library,  containing  a  good  variety  of  French 
and  Russian  books ;  lamps  were  suspended  over  the 
different  tables  ;  and  the  walls  of  the  apartment  were 
tapestried  with  the  sails  and  adorned  with  the  flags 
belonging  to  the  yacht.  The  curtain  of  fire  extending 
over  the  opening  of  the  cavern  provided  it,  as  already 
stated,  with  light  and  heat. 

The  torrent  of  lava  fell  into  a  small  rock-bound  basin 
that  had  no  apparent  communication  with  the  sea,  and  was 
evidently  the  aperture  of  a  deep  abyss,  of  which  the 
waters,  heated  by  the  descent  of  the  eruptive  matter, 
would  no  doubt  retain  their  liquid  condition  long  after  the 
Gallian  Sea  had  become  a  sheet  of  ice. 

A  small  excavation  to  the  left  of  the  common  hall  was 
allotted  for  the  special  use  of  Servadac  and  the  count ; 
another  on  the  right  was  appropriated  to  the  lieutenant 
and  Ben  Zoof;  whilst  a  third  recess,  immediately  at  the 
back,  made  a  convenient  little  chamber  for  Nina.  The 
Spaniards  and  the  Russian  sailors  took  up  their  sleeping- 
quarters  in  the  adjacent  galleries,  and  found  tlie  tem- 
perature quite  comfortable. 


1 62  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

Such  were  the  internal  arrangements  of  Nina's  Hive, 
the  refuge  where  the  little  colony  were  full  of  hope  that 
they  would  be  able  to  brave  the  rigours  of  the  stern  winter- 
time that  lay  before  them — a  winter-time  during  which 
Gallia  might  possibly  be  projected  even  to  the  orbit  of 
Jupiter,  where  the  temperature  would  not  exceed  one 
twenty-fifth  of  the  normal  winter  temperature  of  the  earth. 

The  only  discontented  spirit  was  Isaac  Hakkabut. 
Throughout  all  the  preparations  which  roused  even  the 
Spaniards  to  activity,  the  Jew,  still  incredulous  and  deaf  to 
every  representation  of  the  true  state  of  things,  insisted 
upon  remaining  in  the  creek  at  Gourbi  Island  ;  nothing 
could  induce  him  to  leave  his  tartan,  where,  like  a  miser,  he 
would  keep  guard  over  his  precious  cargo,  ever  grumbling 
and  growling,  but  with  his  weather-eye  open  in  the  hope  of 
catching  sight  of  some  passing  sail.  It  must  be  owned 
that  the  whole  party  were  far  from  sorry  to  be  relieved  of 
his  presence ;  his  uncomely  figure  and  repulsive  counte- 
nance was  a  perpetual  bugbear.  He  had  given  out  in  plain 
terms  that  he  did  not  intend  to  part  with  any  of  his 
property,  except  for  current  money,  and  Servadac,  equally 
resolute,  had  strictly  forbidden  any  purchases  to  be  made 
hoping  to  wear  out  the  rascal's  obstinacy. 

Hakkabut  persistently  refused  to  credit  the  real 
situation  ;  he  could  not  absolutely  deny  that  some  portions 
of  the  terrestrial  globe  had  undergone  a  certain  degree  of 
modification,  but  nothing  could  bring  him  to  believe  that 
he  was  not,  sooner  or  later,  to  resume  his  old  line  of 
business  in  the  Mediterranean.  With  his  wonted  distrust 
of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  he  regarded  every 
argument  that  was  urged  upon  him  only  as  evidence  of  a 
plot  that  had  been  devised  to  deprive  him  of  his  goods. 
Repudiating,  as  he  did  utterly,  the  hypothesis  that  a  frag- 
ment had  become  detached  from  the  earth,  he  scanned  the 
horizon  for  hours  together  with  an  old  telescope,  the  case 
of  which  had  been  patched  up  till  it  looked  like  a  rusty 
stove-pipe,  hoping  to  descry  the  passing  trader  with  which 
he  might  efi"ect  some  bartering  upon  advantageous  terms. 


WINTER-QUARTERS.  163 

At  first  he  professed  to  regard  the  proposed  removal 
into  winter-quarters  as  an  attempt  to  impose  upon  his 
credulity  ;  but  the  frequent  voyages  made  by  the  Dobryna 
to  the  south,  and  the  repeated  consignments  of  corn  and 
cattle,  soon  served  to  make  him  aware  that  Captain  Ser- 
vadac  and  his  companions  were  really  contemplating  a 
departure  from  Gourbi  Island. 

The  movement  set  him  thinking.  What,  he  began  to 
ask  himself — what  if  all  that  was  told  him  was  true }  What 
if  this  sea  was  no  longer  the  Mediterranean  ?  What  if  he 
should  never  again  behold  his  German  fatherland  ?  What 
if  his  marts  for  business  were  gone  for  ever?  A  vague 
idea  of  ruin  began  to  take  possession  of  his  mind  :  he 
must  yield  to  necessity ;  he  must  do  the  best  he  could. 
As  the  result  of  his  cogitations,  he  occasionally  left  his 
tartan  and  made  a  visit  to  the  shore.  At  length  he  en- 
deavoured to  mingle  with  the  busy  group,  who  were  hurry- 
ing on  their  preparations  ;  but  his  advances  were  only  met 
by  jeers  and  scorn,  and,  ridiculed  by  all  the  rest,  he  was 
fain  to  turn  his  attention  to  Ben  Zoof,  to  whom  he  offered 
a  few  pinches  of  tobacco. 

"No,  old  Zebulon,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  steadily  refusing 
the  gift,  "  it  is  against  orders  to  take  anything  from  you. 
Keep  your  cargo  to  yourself;  eat  and  drink  it  all  if  you 
can  ;  we  are  not  to  touch  it." 

Finding  the  subordinates  incorruptible,  Isaac  deter- 
mined to  go  to  the  fountain-head.  He  addressed  himself 
to  Servadac,  and  begged  him  to  tell  him  the  whole  truth, 
piteously  adding  that  surely  it  was  unworthy  of  a  French 
officer  to  deceive  a  poor  old  man  like  himself. 

"Tell  you  the  truth,  man!"  cried  Servadac.  "Confound 
it,  I  have  told  you  the  truth  twenty  times.  Once  for  all,  I 
tell  you  now,  you  have  left  yourself  barely  time  enough  to 
make  your  escape  to  yonder  mountain." 

"  God  and  Mahomet  have  mercy  on  me  ! "  muttered 
the  Jew,  whose  creed  frequently  assumed  a  very  ambiguous 
character. 

"I  will  tell  you  what,"  continued  the  captain — "you 


I 64  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

shall  have  a  few  men  to  work  the  Hansa  across,  if  you 
like." 

"  But  I  want  to  go  to  Algiers,"  whimpered  Hakkabut. 

"  How  often  am  I  to  tell  you  that  Algiers  is  no  longer 
in  existence  ?  Only  say  yes  or  no — are  you  coming  with 
us  into  winter-quarters  ?  " 

"God  of  Israel !  what  is  to  become  of  all  my  property? " 

"  But,  mind  you,"  continued  the  captain,  not  heeding 
the  interruption,  "  if  you  do  not  choose  voluntarily  to 
come  with  us,  I  shall  have  the  Hansa,  by  my  orders, 
removed  to  a  place  of  safety.  I  am  not  going  to  let  your 
cursed  obstinacy  incur  the  risk  of  losing  your  cargo 
altogether." 

"  Merciful  Heaven  !  I  shall  be  ruined  I  "  moaned  Isaac, 
in  despair. 

"  You  are  going  the  right  way  to  ruin  yourself,  and  it 
would  serve  you  right  to  leave  you  to  your  own  devices. 
But  be  off !  I  have  no  more  to  say." 

And,  turning  contemptuously  on  his  heel,  Servadzio 
left  the  old  man  vociferating  bitterly,  and  with  uplifted 
hands  protesting  vehemently  against  the  rapacity  of  the 
Gentiles. 

By  the  20th  all  preliminary  arrangements  were  com- 
plete, and  everything  ready  for  a  final  departure  from  the 
island.  The  thermometer  stood  on  an  average  at  8° 
below  zero,  and  the  water  in  the  cistern  was  completely 
frozen.  It  was  determined,  therefore,  for  the  colony  to 
embark  on  the  following  day,  and  take  up  their  residence  in 
Nina's  Hive. 

A  final  consultation  was  held  about  the  Hansa.  Lieu- 
tenant Procope  pronounced  his  decided  conviction  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  the  tartan  to  resist  the  pressure  of 
ithe  ice  in  the  harbour  of  the  Sheliff,  and  that  there  would 
be  far  more  safety  in  the  proximity  of  the  volcano.  It 
was  agreed  on  all  hands  that  the  vessel  must  be  shifted ; 
and  accordingly  orders  were  given,  four  Russian  sailors 
were  sent  on  board,  and  only  a  few  minutes  elapsed  after 
the  Dobryna  had  weighed  anchor,  before  the  great  lateen 


WINTER-QUARTERS.  16$ 


sail  of  the  tartan  was  unfurled,  and  the  "  shop-ship,"  as 
Ben  Zoof  delighted  to  call  it,  was  also  on  her  way  to  the 
southward. 

Long  and  loud  were  the  lamentations  of  the  Jew.  He 
kept  exclaiming  that  he  had  given  no  orders,  that  he  was 
being  moved  against  his  will,  that  he  had  asked  for  no 
assistance,  and  needed  none  ;  but  it  required  no  very  keen 
discrimination  to  observe  that  all  along  there  was  a  lurking 
gleam  of  satisfaction  in  his  little  grey  eyes,  and  when,  a 
few  hours  later,  he  found  himself  securely  anchored,  and 
his  property  in  a  place  of  safety,  he  quite  chuckled  with  glee. 

*'  God  of  Israel ! "  he  said  in  an  undertone,  "  they  have 
made  no  ckarge ;  the  idiots  have  piloted  me  here  for 
nothing." 

For  nothing  I  His  whole  nature  exulted  in  the  con- 
sciousness that  he  was  enjoying  a  service  that  had  been 
rendered  gratuitously. 

Destitute  of  human  inhabitants,  Gourbi  Island  was 
now  left  to  the  tenancy  of  such  birds  and  beasts  as  had 
escaped  the  recent  promiscuous  slaughter.  Birds,  indeed, 
that  had  migrated  in  search  of  warmer  shores,  had 
returned,  proving  that  this  fragment  of  the  French  colony 
was  the  only  shred  of  land  that  could  yield  them  any 
sustenance  ;  but  their  life  must  necessarily  be  short  It 
was  utterly  impossible  that  they  could  survive  the  cold 
that  would  soon  ensue. 

The  colony  took  possession  of  their  new  abode  with 
but  few  formalities.  Every  one,  however,  approved  of  all 
the  internal  arrangements  of  Nina's  Hive,  and  were 
profuse  in  their  expressions  of  satisfaction  at  finding  them- 
selves located  in  such  comfortable  quarters.  The  only 
malcontent  was  Hakkabut;  he  had  no  share  in  the  general 
enthusiasm,  refused  even  to  enter  or  inspect  any  of  the 
galleries,  and  insisted  on  remaining  on  board  his  tartan. 

"  He  is  afraid,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  "  that  he  will  have  to 
pay  for  his  lodgings.  But  wait  a  bit ;  we  shall  see  how  he 
stands  the  cold  out  there  ;  the  frost,  no  doubt,  will  drive 
the  old  fox  out  of  his  hole." 


l66  HECTOR  SERVADAa 

Towards  evening  the  pots  were  set  boiling,  and  a 
bountiful  supper,  to  which  all  were  invited,  was  spread  in 
the  central  hall.  The  stores  of  the  Dobryna  contained 
some  excellent  wine,  some  of  which  was  broached  to  do 
honour  to  the  occasion.  The  health  of  the  governour- 
general  was  drunk,  as  well  as  the  toast  "  Success  to  his 
council,"  to  which  Ben  Zoof  was  called  upon  to  return 
thanks.  The  entertainment  passed  off  merrily.  The 
Spaniards  were  in  the  best  of  spirits  ;  one  of  them  played 
the  guitar,  another  the  castanets,  and  the  rest  joined  in  a 
ringing  chorus.  Ben  Zoof  contributed  the  famous  Zouave 
refrain,  well  known  throughout  the  French  army,  but 
rarely  performed  in  finer  style  than  by  this  virtuoso  ;— 

"  Misti  goth  dar  dar  tire  lyre  1 
Flic  !  floe  !  flac  !  lirette,  lira  I 
Far  la  rira, 
Tour  tala  rire, 
Tour  la  Ribaud, 
Ricandeau, 
Sans  repos,  repit,  repit  repos,  ris  pot,  ripette  I 
Si  vous  attrapez  men  refrain, 
Fameux  vous  etes." 

The  concert  was  succeeded  by  a  ball,  unquestionably 
the  first  that  had  ever  taken  place  in  Gallia.  The  Russian 
sailors  exhibited  some  of  their  national  dances,  which 
gained  considerable  applause,  even  although  they  followed 
upon  the  marvellous  fandangos  of  the  Spaniards.  Bei? 
Zoof,  in  his  turn,  danced  di  pas  seul  (often  performed  in  the 
Elysee  Montmartre)  with  an  elegance  and  vigour  that 
earned  many  compliments  from  Negrete. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  before  the  festivities  came  to  an 
end,  and  by  that  time  the  company,  heated  by  the  high 
temperature  of  the  hall,  and  by  their  own  exertions,  felt 
the  want  of  a  little  fresh  air.  Accordingly  the  greater 
portion  of  the  party,  escorted  by  Ben  Zoof,  made  their 
way  into  one  of  the  adjacent  galleries  that  led  to  the 
shore.  Servadac,  with  the  count  and  lieutenant,  did  not 
follow  immediately  ;  but  shortly  afterwards  they  proceeded 
to  join  them,  when  on  their  way  they  were  startled  by  loud 
cries  from  those  m  advance. 


WINTER-QUARTERS.  167 


Their  first  impression  was  that  they  were  cries  of 
distress,  and  they  were  greatly  reheved  to  find  that  they 
were  shouts  of  delight,  which  the  dryness  and  purity  of 
the  atmosphere  caused  to  re-echo  like  a  volley  of  musketry. 

Reaching  the  mouth  of  the  gallery,  they  found  the 
entire  group  pointing  with  eager  interest  to  the  sky. 

"  Well,  Ben  Zoof,"  asked  the  captain,  "  what's  the 
matter  now  ?  " 

"  Oh,  your  Excellency,"  ejaculated  the  orderly,  "  look 
there  !  look  there  !    The  moon  !  the  moon's  come  back  !  " 

And,  sure  enough,  what  was  apparently  the  moon  was 
rising  above  the  mists  of  evening. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

A  FROZEN  OCEAN. 

The  moon  !  She  had  disappeared  for  weeks  ;  was  she 
now  returning  ?  Had  she  been  faithless  to  the  earth  ?  and 
had  she  now  approached  to  be  a  sateUite  of  the  new- 
born world  ? 

"Impossible!"  said  Lieutenant  Procope  ;  "the  earth 
is  millions  and  millions  of  leagues  away,  and  it  is  not 
probable  that  the  moon  has  ceased  to  revolve  about  her." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  remonstrated  Servadac.  "  It  would  not 
be  more  strange  than  the  other  phenomena  which  we  have 
lately  witnessed.  Why  should  not  the  moon  have  fallen 
within  the  limits  of  Gallia's  attraction,  and  become  her 
satellite  ? " 

"  Upon  that  supposition,"  put  in  the  count,  "  I  should 
think  that  it  would  be  altogether  unlikely  that  three 
months  would  elapse  without  our  seeing  her." 

"  Quite  incredible !  "  continued  Procope.  "  And  there 
Is  another  thing  which  totally  disproves  the  captain's 
hypothesis  ;  the  magnitude  of  Gallia  is  far  too  insignificant 
for  her  power  of  attraction  to  carry  off  the  moon." 

"  But,"  persisted  Servadac,  "  why  should  not  the  same 
convulsion  that  tore  us  away  from  the  earth  have  torn 
away  the  moon  as  well .-'  After  wandering  about  as  she 
would  for  a  while  in  the  solar  regions,  I  do  not  see  why  she 
should  not  have  attached  herself  to  us." 

The  lieutenant  repeated  his  conviction  that  it  was  nol 
likely. 


A  FROZEN   OCEAN.  1 69 

"  But  why  not  ?  **  again  asked  Servadac  impetuously. 

**  Because,  I  tell  you,  the  mass  of  Gallia  is  so  inferior  to 
that  of  the  moon,  that  Gallia  would  become  the  moon's 
satellite ;  the  moon  could  not  possibly  become  hers." 

"Assuming,  however,"  continued  Servadac,  "  such  to  be 
the  case " 

"I  am  afraid,"  said  the  lieutenant,  interrupting  him, 
"  that  I  cannot  assume  anything  of  the  sort  even  for  a 
moment." 

Servadac  smiled  good-humouredly. 

**  I  confess  you  seem  to  have  the  best  of  the  argument, 
and  if  Gallia  had  become  a  satellite  of  the  moon,  it  would 
not  have  taken  three  months  to  catch  sight  of  her.  J 
suppose  you  are  right." 

While  this  discussion  had  been  going  on,  the  satellite, 
or  whatever  it  might  be,  had  been  rising  steadily  above  the 
horizon,  and  had  reached  a  position  favourable  for  obser- 
vation. Telescopes  were  brought,  and  it  was  very  soon 
ascertained,  beyond  a  question,  that  the  new  luminary  was 
not  the  well-known  Phoebe  of  terrestrial  nights  ;  it  had  no 
feature  in  common  with  the  moon.  Although  it  was 
apparently  much  nearer  to  Gallia  than  the  moon  to  the 
earth,  its  superficies  was  hardly  one-tenth  as  large,  and  so 
feebly  did  it  reflect  the  light  of  the  remote  sun,  that  it 
scarcely  emitted  radiance  enough  to  extinguish  the  dim 
lustre  of  stars  of  the  eighth  magnitude.  Like  the  sun,  it 
had  risen  in  the  west,  and  was  now  at  its  full.  To  mistake 
its  identity  with  the  moon  was  absolutely  impossible  ;  not 
even  Servadac  could  discover  a  trace  of  the  seas,  chasms, 
craters,  and  mountains  which  have  been  so  minutely 
delineated  in  lunar  charts  ;  and  it  could  not  be  denied 
that  any  transient  hope  that  had  been  excited  as  to  their 
once  again  being  abou^  to  enjoy  the  peaceful  smiles  of 
"  the  queen  of  night  "  must  all  be  resigned. 

Count  Timascheff  finally  suggested,  though  somewhat 
doubtfully,  the  question  of  the  probability  that  Gallia,  in 
her  course  across  the  zone  of  the  minor  planets,  had 
carried  off  one  of  them ;  but  whether  it  was  one  of  the  169 


I/O  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

asteroids  already  included  in  the  astronomical  catalogues, 
or  one  previously  unknown,  he  did  not  presume  to  deter- 
mine. The  idea  to  a  certain  extent  was  plausible, 
inasmuch  as  it  has  been  ascertained  that  several  of  the 
telescopic  planets  are  of  such  small  dimensions  that  a 
good  walker  might  make  a  circuit  of  them  in  four  and 
twenty  hours ;  consequently  Gallia,  being  of  superior 
volume,  might  be  supposed  capable  of  exercising  a  power 
of  attraction  upon  any  of  these  miniature  microcosms. 

The  first  night  in  Nina's  Hive  passed  without  special 
incident ;  and  next  morning  a  regular  scheme  of  life  was 
definitely  laid  down.  "  My  lord  governour"  (as  Ben  Zoof. 
until  he  was  peremptorily  forbidden,  delighted  to  call 
Servadac)  had  a  wholesome  dread  of  idleness  and  its  con- 
sequences, and  insisted  upon  each  member  of  the  party 
undertaking  some  special  duty  to  fulfil.  There  was  plenty 
to  do.  The  domestic  animals  required  a  great  deal  of 
attention ;  a  supply  of  food  had  to  be  secured  and  pre- 
served ;  fishing  had  to  be  carried  on  while  the  condition  of 
the  sea  would  allow  it ;  and  in  several  places  the  galleries 
had  to  be  further  excavated  to  render  them  more  available 
for  use.  Occupation,  then,  need  never  be  wanting,  and 
the  daily  round  of  labour  could  go  on  in  orderly  routine. 

A  perfect  concord  ruled  the  little  colony.  The  Rus- 
sians and  Spaniards  amalgamated  well,  and  both  did  their 
best  to  pick  up  various  scraps  of  French,  which  was  con- 
sidered the  official  language  of  the  place.  Servadac  him- 
self undertook  the  tuition  of  Pablo  and  Nina,  Ben  Zoof 
being  their  companion  in  play-hours,  when  he  entertained 
them  with  enchanting  stories  in  the  best  Parisian  French, 
about  "  a  lovely  city  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,"  where  he 
almost  promised  one  day  to  take  them. 

The  end  of  March  came,  but  the  cold  was  not  intense 
to  such  a  degree  as  to  confine  any  of  the  party  to  the 
interior  of  their  resort;  several  excursions  were  made  along 
the  shore,  and  for  a  radius  of  three  or  four  miles  the 
adjacent  district  was  carefully  explored.  Investigation, 
however,  always   ended  in    the   same   result ;    turn    theii 


A  FROZEN   OCEAN.  I71 

course  in  whatever  direction  they  would,  they  found  that 
the  country  retained  everywhere  its  desert  character,  rocky, 
barren,  and  without  a  trace  of  vegetation.  Here  and  there 
a  slight  layer  of  snow  or  a  thin  coating  of  ice  arising  from 
atmospheric  condensation  indicated  the  existence  of  super- 
ficial moisture,  but  it  would  require  a  period  indefinitely 
long,  exceeding  human  reckoning,  before  that  moisture 
could  collect  into  a  stream  and  roll  downwards  over  the 
stony  strata  to  the  sea.  It  seemed  at  present  out  of  their 
power  to  determine  whether  the  land  upon  which  they 
were  so  happily  settled  was  an  island  or  a  continent,  and 
till  the  cold  was  abated  they  feared  to  undertake  any 
lengthened  expedition  to  ascertain  the  actual  extent  of  the 
strange  concrete  of  metallic  crystallization. 

By  ascending  one  day  to  the  summit  of  the  volcano, 
Captain  Servadac  and  the  count  succeeded  in  getting  a 
general  idea  of  the  aspect  of  the  country.  The  mountain 
itself  was  an  enormous  block  rising  symmetrically  to  a 
height  of  nearly  3000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in 
the  form  of  a  truncated  cone,  of  which  the  topmost  section 
was  crowned  by  a  wreath  of  smoke  issuing  continuously 
from  the  mouth  of  a  narrow  crater. 

Under  the  old  condition  of  terrestrial  things,  the  ascent 
of  this  steep  acclivity  would  have  been  attended  with 
much  fatigue,  but  as  the  effect  of  the  altered  condition  of 
the  law  of  gravity,  the  travellers  performed  perpetual  pro- 
digies in  the  way  of  agility,  and  in  little  over  an  hour 
reached  the  edge  of  the  crater,  without  more  sense  of  exer- 
tion than  if  they  had  traversed  a  couple  of  miles  on  level 
ground.  Gallia  had  its  drawbacks,  but  it  had  some  com- 
pensating advantages. 

Telescopes  in  hand,  the  explorers  from  the  summit 
scanned  the  surrounding  view.  Their  anticipations  had 
already  realized  what  they  saw.  Just  as  they  expected,  on 
the  north,  east,  and  west  lay  the  Gallian  Sea,  smooth  and 
motionless  as  a  sheet  of  glass,  the  cold  having,  as  it  were, 
congealed  the  atmosphere  so  that  there  was  not  a  breath 
of  wind.     Towards  the  south  there  seemed  no  limit  to  the 


1/2  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

-  ■      -       ■■'-■■■-  —  -I—    .  -    ■         ■  — I...-,    .-..I.— ■-     ■    I,,,..    ..^-.■1 

land,  and  the  volcano  formed  the  apex  of  a  triangle,  of 
which  the  base  was  beyond  the  reach  of  vision.  Viewed 
even  from  this  height,  whence  distance  would  do  much  to 
soften  the  general  asperity,  the  surface  nevertheless  seemed 
to  be  bristling  with  its  myriads  of  hexagonal  lamellae,  and 
to  present  difficulties  which,  to  an  ordinary  pedestrian, 
would  be  insurmountable. 

"  O  for  some  wings,  or  else  a  balloon !  "  cried  Servadac, 
as  he  gazed  around  him  ;  and  then,  looking  down  to  the 
rock  upon  which  they  were  standing,  he  added,  "  We  seem 
to  have  been  transplanted  to  a  soil  strange  enough  in  its 
chemical  character  to  bewilder  the  savants  at  a  museum." 

"  And  do  you  observe,  captain,"  asked  the  count,  "  how 
the  convexity  of  our  little  world  curtails  our  view  ?  See, 
how  circumscribed  is  the  horizon  !  " 

Servadac  replied  that  he  had  noticed  the  same  circum- 
stance from  the  top  of  the  cliffs  of  Gourbi  Island. 

"Yes,"  said  the  count;  "it  becomes  more  and  more 
obvious  that  ours  is  a  very  tiny  world,  and  that  Gourbi 
Island  is  the  sole  productive  spot  upon  its  surface.  We 
have  had  a  short  summer,  and  who  knows  whether  we  are 
not  entering  upon  a  winter  that  may  last  for  years,  perhaps 
for  centuries  t " 

"  But  we  must  not  mind,  count,"  said  Servadac,  smiling. 
"We  have  agreed,  you  know,  that,  come  what  may,  we  are 
to  be  philosophers." 

"Ay,  true,  my  friend,"  rejoined  the  count ;  "we  must  be 
philosophers  and  something  more  ;  we  must  be  grateful  to 
the  good  Protector  who  has  hitherto  befriended  us,  and  we 
must  trust  His  mercy  to  the  end." 

For  a  few  moments  they  both  stood  in  silence,  and 
contemplated  land  and  sea  ;  then,  having  given  a  last 
glance  over  the  dreary  panorama,  they  prepared  to  wend 
their  way  down  the  mountain.  Before,  however,  they 
commenced  their  descent,  they  resolved  to  make  a  closer 
examination  of  the  crater.  They  were  particularly  struck 
by  what  seemed  to  them  almost  the  mysterious  calmness 
with  which  the  eruption  was  effected.     There  was  none  of 


A   FROZEN    OCEAN.  I73 

the  wild  disorder  and  deafening  tumult  that  usuall}'-  ac- 
company the  discharge  of  volcanic  matter,  but  the  heated 
lava,  rising  with  a  uniform  gentleness,  quietly  overran  the 
limits  of  the  crater,  like  the  flow  of  water  from  the  bosom 
of  a  peaceful  lake.  Instead  of  a  boiler  exposed  to  the 
action  of  an  angry  fire,  the  crater  rather  resembled  a  brim- 
ming basin,  of  which  the  contents  were  noiselessly  escaping. 
Nor  were  there  any  igneous  stones  or  red-hot  cinders 
mingled  with  the  smoke  that  crowned  the  summit ;  a  cir- 
cumstance that  quite  accorded  with  the  absence  of  the 
pumice-stones,  obsidians,  and  other  minerals  of  volcanic 
origin  with  which  the  base  of  a  burning  mountain  is  gene- 
rally strewn. 

Captain  Servadac  was  of  opinion  that  this  peculiarity 
augured  favourably  for  the  continuance  of  the  eruption. 
Extreme  violence  in  physical,  as  well  as  in  moral  nature, 
is  never  of  long  duration.  The  most  terrible  storms,  like 
the  most  violent  fits  of  passion,  are  not  lasting  ;  but  here 
the  calm  flow  of  the  liquid  fire  appeared  to  be  supplied 
from  a  source  that  was  inexhaustible,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  waters  of  Niagara,  gliding  on  steadily  to  their  final 
plunge,  would  defy  all  effort  to  arrest  their  course. 

Before  the  evening  of  this  day  closed  in,  a  most 
important  change  was  effected  in  the  condition  of  the 
Gallian  Sea  by  the  intervention  of  human  agency.  Not- 
withstanding the  increasing  cold,  the  sea,  unruffled  as  it 
was  by  a  breath  of  wind,  still  retained  its  liquid  state.  It 
is  an  established  fact  that  water,  under  this  condition  of 
absolute  stillness,  will  remain  uncongealed  at  a  temperature 
several  degrees  below  zero,  whilst  experiment,  at  the  same 
time,  shows  that  a  very  slight  shock  will  often  be  sufficient 
to  convert  it  into  solid  ice. 

It  had  occurred  to  Servadac  that  if  some  communica- 
tion could  be  opened  with  Gourbi  Island,  there  would  be 
a  fine  scope  for  hunting  expeditions.  Having  this  ulti- 
mate object  in  view,  he  assembled  his  little  colony  upon  a 
projecting  rock  at  the  extremity  of  the  promontory,  and 
having  called  Nina  and  Pablo  out  to  him  in  front,  he  said  ■ 


174  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


"  Now,  Nina,  do  you  think  you  could  throw  something 
into  the  sea  ? " 

"  I  think  I  could,"  replied  the  child,  "  but  I  am  sure 
that  Pablo  would  throw  it  a  great  deal  further  than  I  can," 

"  Never  mind,  you  shall  try  first." 

Putting  a  fragment  of  ice  into  Nina's  hand,  he  ad- 
dressed himself  to  Pablo  : 

"  Look  out,  Pablo  ;  you  shall  see  what  a  nice  little 
fairy  Nina  is  !     Throw,  Nina,  throw,  as  hard  as  you  can." 

Nina  balanced  the  piece  of  ice  two  or  three  times  in 
her  hand,  and  threw  it  forward  with  all  her  strength. 

A  sudden  thrill  seemed  to  vibrate  across  the  motionless 
waters  to  the  distant  horizon,  and  the  Gallian  Sea  had 
become  a  solid  sheet  of  icf" ' 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

A    CARRIER-PIGEON. 

When,  three  hours  after  sunset,  on  the  23rd  of  March, 
the  Gallian  moon  rose  upon  the  western  horizon,  it  was 
observed  that  she  had  entered  upon  her  last  quarter.  She 
had  taken  only  four  days  to  pass  from  syzygy  to  quadra- 
ture, and  it  was  consequently  evident  that  she  would  be 
visible  for  little  more  than  a  week  at  a  time,  and  that  her 
lunation  would  be  accomplished  within  sixteen  days.  The 
lunar  months,  like  the  solar  days,  had  been  diminished  by 
one  half.  Three  days  later  the  moon  was  in  conjunctiotr 
with  the  sun,  and  was  consequently  lost  to  view  ;  Ben 
Zoof,  as  the  first  observer  of  the  satellite,  was  extremely 
interested  in  its  movements,  and  wondered  whether  it 
would  ever  re-appear. 

On  the  26th,  under  an  atmosphere  perfectly  clear  and 
dry,  the  thermometer  fell  to  12°  C.  below  zero.  Of  the 
present  distance  of  Gallia  from  the  sun,  and  the  number  of 
leagues  she  had  traversed  since  the  receipt  of  the  last 
mysterious  document,  there  were  no  means  of  judging  ; 
the  extent  of  diminution  in  the  apparent  disc  of  the  sun 
did  not  afford  sufficient  basis  even  for  an  approximate 
calculation ;  and  Captain  Scrvadac  was  perpetually  re 
gretting  that  they  could  receive  no  further  tidings  from 
the  anonymous  correspondent,  whom  he  persisted  in  re- 
garding as  a  fellow-countryman. 

The  solidity  of  the  ice  was  perfect ;  the  utter  stillness  of 


1^6  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


the  air  at  the  time  when  the  final  congelation  of  tlie 
waters  had  taken  place  had  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a 
surface  that  for  smoothness  would  rival  a  skating-rink  ; 
without  a  crack  or  flaw  it  extended  far  beyond  the  range 
of  vision. 

The  contrast  to  tlie  ordinaiy  aspect  of  polar  seas  was 
very  remarkable.  There,  the  ice-fields  are  an  agglomera- 
tion of  hummocks  and  icebergs,  massed  in  wild  confusion, 
often  towering  higher  than  the  masts  of  the  largest  whalers, 
and  from  the  instability  of  their  foundations  liable  to 
an  instantaneous  loss  of  equilibrium  ;  a  breath  of  wind,  a 
slight  modification  of  the  temperature,  not  unfrequently 
serving  to  bring  about  a  series  of  changes  outrivalling  the 
most  elaborate  transformation  scenes  of  a  pantomime 
Here,  on  the  contraiy,  the  vast  white  plain  was  level  a«« 
the  desert  of  Sahara  or  the  Russian  steppes  ;  the  waters  of 
the  Gallian  Sea  were  imprisoned  beneath  the  solid  sheet^ 
which  became  continually  stouter  in  the  increasing  cold. 

Accustomed  to  the  uneven  crystallizations  of  their  owr 
frozen  seas,  the  Russians  could  not  be  otherwise  tha» 
delighted  with  the  polished  surface  that  afforded  them  suc^ 
excellent  opportunity  for  enjoying  their  favourite  pastime  a 
skating.  A  supply  of  skates,  found  hidden  away  amonga 
the  Dobrynds  stores,  was  speedily  brought  into  use.  Tht 
Russians  undertook  the  instruction  of  the  Spaniards,  and 
at  the  end  of  a  few  days,  during  which  the  temperature 
was  only  endurable  through  the  absence  of  wind,  there 
was  not  a  Gallian  who  could  not  skate  tolerably  well, 
while  many  of  them  could  describe  figures  involving  the 
most  complicated  curves.  Nina  and  Pablo  earned  loud 
applause  by  their  rapid  proficiency;  Captain  Servadac, 
an  adept  in  athletics,  almost  outvied  his  instructor,  the 
count ;  and  Ben  Zoof,  who  had  upon  some  rare  occasions 
skated  upon  the  Lake  of  Montmartre  (in  his  eyes,  of  course, 
a  sea),  performed  prodigies  in  the  art. 

This  exercise  was  not  only  healthy  in  itself,  but  it  was 
acknowledged  that,  in  case  of  necessity,  it  might  become  a 
very  useful  means  of  locomotion.     As    Captain  Servadac 


A  CARRIER-PIGEON.  177 

remarked,  it  was  almost  a  substitute  for  railways,  and  as  if 
to  illustrate  this  proposition,  Lieutenant  Procope,  perhaps 
the  greatest  expert  in  the  party,  accomplished  the  twenty 
miles  to  Gourbi  Island  and  back  in  considerably  less  than 
four  hours. 

The  temperature,  meanwhile,  continued  to  decrease,  and 
the  average  reading  of  the  thermometer  was  about  1 6°  C. 
below  zero ;  the  light  also  diminished  in  proportion,  and 
all  objects  appeared  to  be  enveloped  in  a  half-defined 
shadow,  as  though  the  sun  were  undergoing  a  perpetual 
eclipse.  It  was  not  surprising  that  the  effect  of  this  con- 
tinuously overhanging  gloom  should  be  to  induce  a  fre-^ 
quent  depression  of  spirits  amongst  the  majority  of  the 
little  population,  exiles  as  they  were  from  their  mother 
earth,  and  not  unlikely,  as  it  seemed,  to  be  swept  far  away 
into  the  regions  of  another  planetary  sphere.  Probably 
Count  Timascheff,  Captain  Servadac,  and  Lieutenant  Pro- 
cope  were  the  only  members  of  the  community  who  could 
bring  any  scientific  judgment  to  bear  upon  the  uncertainty 
that  was  before  them,  but  a  general  sense  of  the  strange- 
ness of  their  situation  could  not  fail  at  times  to  weigh 
heavily  upon  the  minds  of  all.  Under  these  circumstances 
it  was  very  necessary  to  counteract  the  tendency  to  de- 
spond by  continual  diversion  ;  and  the  recreation  of  skating 
thus  opportunely  provided,  seemed  just  the  thing  to  arouse 
the  flagging  spirits,  and  to  restore  a  wholesome  excite- 
ment. 

With  dogged  obstinacy,  Isaac  Hakkabut  refused  to 
take  any  share  either  in  the  labours  or  the  amusements  of 
the  colony.  In  spite  of  the  cold,  he  had  not  been  seen 
since  the  day  of  his  arrival  from  Gourbi  Island.  Captain 
Servadac  had  strictly  forbidden  any  communication  with 
him  ;  and  the  smoke  that  rose  from  the  cabin  chimney  of 
the  Hansa  was  the  sole  indication  of  the  proprietor  being 
still  on  board.  There  was  nothing  to  prevent  him,  if  he 
chose,  from  partaking  gratuitously  of  the  volcanic  light 
and  heat  which  were  being  enjoyed  by  all  besides ;  but 
rather  than  abandon  his  close  and  personal  oversight  of  his 

N 


178  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


precious  cargo,  he  preferred  to  sacrifice  his  own  slender 
stock  of  fuel. 

Both  the  schooner  and  the  tartan  had  been  carefully 
moored  in  the  way  that  seemed  to  promise  best  for  with- 
standing the  rigour  of  the  winter.  After  seeing  the  vessels 
made  secure  in  the  frozen  creek,  Lieutenant  Procope,  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  many  Arctic  explorers,  had  the 
precaution  to  have  the  ice  bevelled  away  from  the  keels, 
so  that  there  should  be  no  risk  of  the  ships'  sides  being 
cruslied  by  the  increasing  pressure ;  he  hoped  that  they 
would  follow  any  rise  in  the  level  of  the  ice-field,  and  when 
the  thaw  should  come,  that  they  would  easily  regain  theii 
proper  water-line. 

On  his  last  visit  to  Gourbi  Island,  the  lieutenant  had 
ascertained  that  north,  east,  and  west,  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  the  Gallian  Sea  had  become  one  uniform  sheet  of 
ice.  One  spot  alone  refused  to  freeze  :  this  was  the  pool 
immediately  below  the  central  cavern,  the  receptacle  for 
the  stream  of  burning  lava.  It  was  entirely  enclosed  by 
rocks,  and  if  ever  a  few  icicles  were  formed  there  by  the 
action  of  the  cold,  they  were  very  soon  melted  by  the  fiery 
shower.  Hissing  and  spluttering  as  the  hot  lava  came  in 
contact  with  it,  the  water  was  in  a  continual  state  of  ebul- 
lition, and  the  fish  that  abounded  in  its  depths  defied  the 
angler's  craft ;  they  were,  as  Ben  Zoof  remarked, "  too  much 
boiled  to  bite." 

At  the  beginning  of  April  the  weather  changed.  The 
sky  became  overcast,  but  there  was  no  rise  in  the  tem- 
perature. Unlike  the  polar  winters  of  the  earth,  which 
ordinarily  are  affected  by  atmospheric  influence,  and  liable 
to  sligjit  intermissions  of  their  severity  at  various  shiftings 
of  the  wind,  Gallia's  winter  was  caused  by  her  immense 
distance  from  the  source  of  all  light  and  heat,  and  the  cold 
was  consequently  destined  to  go  on  steadily  increasing 
until  it  reached  the  limit  ascertained  by  Fourier  to  be  the 
normal  temperature  of  the  realms  of  space. 

With  the  over-clouding  of  the  heavens  there  arose  a 
violent  tempest ;   but   although  the  wind  raged  with  an 


A  CARRIER-PIGEON.  1 79 

almost  inconceivable  fury,  it  was  unaccompanied  by  either 
snow  or  rain.  Its  effect  upon  the  burning  curtain  that 
covered  the  aperture  of  the  central  hall  was  very  remark- 
able. So  far  from  there  being  any  likelihood  of  the  fire 
being  extinguished  by  the  vehemence  of  the  current  of  air, 
the  hurricane  semed  rather  to  act  as  a  ventilator,  which 
fanned  the  flame  into  greater  activity,  and  the  utmost  care 
was  necessary  to  avoid  being  burnt  by  the  fragments  of 
lava  that  were  drifted  into  the  interior  of  the  grotto. 
More  than  once  the  curtain  itself  was  rifted  entirely 
asunder,  but  only  to  close  up  again  immediately  after 
allowing  a  momentary  draught  of  cold  air  to  penetrate 
the  hall  in  a  way  that  was  refreshing  and  rather  advan- 
tageous than  otherwise. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  after  an  absence  of  about  four 
days,  the  new  satellite,  to  Ben  Zoof's  great  satisfaction,  made 
its  re-appearance  in  a  crescent  form,  a  circumstance  that 
seemed  to  justify  the  anticipation  that  henceforward  it 
would  continue  to  make  a  periodic  revolution  every  fort- 
night. 

The  crust  of  ice  and  snow  was  far  too  stout  for  the 
beaks  of  the  strongest  birds  to  penetrate,  and  accordingly 
large  swarms  had  left  the  island,  and,  following  the  human 
population,  had  taken  refuge  on  the  volcanic  promontory ; 
not  that  there  the  barren  shore  had  anything  in  the  way  of 
nourishment  to  offer  them,  but  their  instinct  impelled 
them  to  haunt  now  the  very  habitations  which  formerly 
they  would  have  shunned.  Scraps  of  food  were  thrown  to 
them  from  the  galleries ;  these  were  speedily  devoured, 
but  were  altogether  inadequate  in  quantity  to  meet  the 
demand.  At  length,  emboldened  by  hunger,  several  hun- 
dred birds  ventured  through  the  tunnel,  and  took  up  their 
quarters  actually  in  Nina's  Hive.  Congregating  in  the 
large  hall,  the  half-famished  creatures  did  not  hesitate  to 
snatch  bread,  meat,  or  food  of  any  description  from  the 
hands  of  the  residents  as  they  sat  at  table,  and  soon 
became  such  an  intolerable  nuisance  that  it  formed  one  of 
the  daily  diversions  to  hunt  them   down  ;    but   although 


l8o  HECTOR  SERVADAa 

they  were  vigourously  attacked  by  stones  and  sticks,  and 
even  occasionally  by  shot,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that 
their  number  could  be  sensibly  reduced. 

First  and  foremost  in  these  daily  raids  upon  the  birds 
was  Ben  Zoof.  He  yelled  and  shouted,  and  swore  at  the 
intruders  much  as  he  had  done  upon  the  island,  and  by 
the  help  of  his  companions  succeeded  in  doing  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  destruction.  For  days  the  table  was 
supplied  with  an  abundance  of  woodcocks,  wild  ducks, 
snipes,  and  partridges;  and  although  the  birds  had  been 
knocked  down  at  random,  they  could  hardly  have  been 
more  choice  as  delicacies  if  they  had  been  selected  with 
especial  regard  to  their  edible  qualities. 

By  a  systematic  course  of  warfare  the  bulk  of  the  birds 
were  all  expelled,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  hundred, 
which  began  to  build  in  the  crevices  of  the  rocks.  These 
were  left  in  quiet  possession  of  their  quarters,  as  not  only 
was  it  deemed  advisable  to  perpetuate  the  various  breeds, 
but  it  was  found  that  these  birds  acted  as  a  kind  of  police, 
never  failing  either  to  chase  away  or  to  kill  any  others  of 
their  species  who  infringed  upon  what  they  appeared  to 
regard  as  their  own  special  privilege  in  intruding  within 
the  limits  of  their  domain. 

On  the  15th  loud  cries  were  suddenly  heard  issuing 
from  the  mouth  of  the  principal  gallery. 

"  Help,  help  !     I  shall  be  killed  !  " 

Pablo  in  a  moment  recognized  the  voice  as  Nina's. 
Outrunning  even  Ben  Zoof  he  hurried  to  the  assistance  of 
his  little  playmate,  and  discovered  that  she  was  being 
attacked  by  half  a  dozen  great  sea-gulls,  and  only  after 
receiving  some  severe  blows  from  their  beaks  could  he 
succeed  by  means  of  a  stout  cudgel  in  driving  them  away. 

'*  Tell  me,  Nina,  what  is  this  ? "  he  asked  as  soon  as 
the  tumult  had  subsided. 

The  child  pointed  to  a  bird  which  she  was  caressing 
tenderly  in  her  bosom. 

"  A  pigeon  ! "  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  who  had  reached 
the  scene  of  commotion,  adding : 


She  was  being  attacked  by  half  a  dozen  Great  Sea-siiUs. 


A  CARRIER-PIGEON.  l8l 


"  A  carrier-pigeon  !  And  by  all  the  saints  of  Mont- 
martre,  there  is  a  little  bag  attached  to  its  neck  !  " 

He  took  the  bird,  and  rushing  into  the  hall  placed  it  in 
Servadac's  hands. 

"  Another  message,  no  doubt,"  cried  the  captain,  "  from 
our  unknown  friend.  Let  us  hope  that  this  time  he  has 
given  us  his  name  and  address." 

All  crowded  round,  eager  to  hear  the  news.  In  the 
struggle  with  the  sea-gulls  the  bag  had  been  partially  torn 
open,  but  it  was  found  to  contain  the  following  des- 
patch : 

"  Gallia  ! 

Cheniin  parcouni  du  I"  Mars  au  i"  Avril :  39,000,000  L  I 

Distance  du  soleil :  1 10,000,000 1.  I 

Capte  Ncrina  en  passant. 

Vivres  vont  manquer  et " 

The  rest  of  the  document  had  been  so  damaged  by  the 
beaks  of  the  gulls  that  it  was  illegible.  Servadac  was  wild 
with  vexation.  He  felt  more  and  more  convinced  that  the 
writer  was  a  Frenchman,  and  that  the  last  line  indicated 
that  he  was  in  distress  from  scarcity  of  food.  The  very 
thought  of  a  fellow-countryman  in  peril  of  starvation  drove 
him  well-nigh  to  distraction,  and  it  was  in  vain  that 
search  was  made  everywhere  near  the  scene  of  conflict  in 
hopes  of  finding  the  missing  scrap  that  might  bear  a 
signature  or  address. 

Suddenly  little  Nina,  who  had  again  taken  possession 
of  the  pigeon,  and  was  hugging  it  to  her  breast,  said — 

"  Look  here,  Ben  Zoof !  " 

And  as  she  spoke  she  pointed  to  the  left  wing  of  the 
bird. 

The  wing  bore  the  faint  impress  of  a  postage-stamp, 
and  the  one  word 

"FORMMiTMlA." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

A   SLEDGE-RIDE. 

FORMENTERA  was  at  oiice  recognized  by  Servadac  and 
the  count  as  the  name  of  one  of  the  smallest  of  the  Balearic 
Islands.  It  was  more  than  probable  that  the  unknown 
writer  had  thence  sent  out  the  mysterious  documents,  and 
from  the  message  just  come  to  hand  by  the  carrier-pigeon, 
it  appeared  all  but  certain  that  at  the  beginning  of  April,  a 
fortnight  back,  he  had  still  been  there.  In  one  important 
particular  the  present  communication  differed  from  those 
that  had  preceded  it :  it  was  written  entirely  in  French, 
and  exhibited  none  of  the  ecstatic  exclamations  in  other 
languages  that  had  been  remarkable  in  the  two  former 
papers.  The  concluding  line,  with  its  intimation  of  failing 
provisions,  amounted  almost  to  an  appeal  for  help.  Cap- 
tain Servadac  briefly  drew  attention  to  these  points,  and 
concluded  by  saying  : 

"  My  friends,  we  must,  without  delay,  hasten  to  the 
assistance  of  this  unfortunate  man." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  the  count,  "  I  am  quite  ready  to 
accompany  you ;  it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  is  not  alone  in 
his  distress." 

Lieutenant  Procope  expressed  much  surprise. 

*'  We  must  have  passed  close  to  Formentera,"  he  said, 
"when  we  explored  the  site  of  the  Balearic  Isles  ;  this  frag- 
ment must  be  very  small ;  it  must  be  smaller  than  the 
remaining  splinter  of  Gibraltar  or  Ceuta;  otherwise,  surely 
it  would  never  have  escaped  our  observation." 


A  SLEDGE-RIDE.  183 


**  However  small  it  may  be,"  replied  Servadac,  "  we 
must  find  it.     How  far  off  do  you  suppose  it  is  ? " 

"  It  must  be  a  hundred  and  twenty  leagues  away,"  said 
the  lieutenant,  thoughtfully  ;  "  and  I  do  not  quite  under- 
stand how  you  would  propose  to  get  there." 

"  Why,  on  skates  of  course ;  no  difficulty  in  that,  I  should 
imagine,"  answered  Servadac,  and  he  appealed  to  the  count 
for  confirmation  of  his  opinion. 

The  count  assented,  but  Procope  looked  doubtful. 

"  Your  enterprise  is  generous,"  he  said,  "  and  I  should 
be  most  unwilling  to  throw  any  unnecessary  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  its  execution  ;  but,  pardon  me,  if  I  submit  to 
you  a  few  considerations  which  to  my  mind  are  very 
important.  First  of  all,  the  thermometer  is  already  down 
to  22^  below  zero,  and  the  keen  wind  from  the  south  is 
making  the  temperature  absolutely  unendurable  ;  in  the 
second  place,  supposing  you  travel  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
leagues  a  day,  you  would  be  exposed  for  at  least  six  con- 
secutive days  ;  and  thirdly,  your  expedition  will  be  of 
small  avail  unless  you  convey  provisions  not  only  for  your- 
selves, but  for  those  whom  you  hope  to  relieve." 

"  We  can  carry  our  own  provisions  on  our  backs  in 
knapsacks,"  interposed  Servadac,  quickly,  unwilling  to 
recognize  any  difficulty  in  the  way. 

"Granted  that  you  can,"  answered  the  lieutenant, 
quietly  ;  "  but  where,  on  this  level  ice-field,  will  you  find 
shelter  in  your  periods  of  rest.?  You  must  perish  with  cold, 
you  will  not  have  the  chance  of  digging  out  ice-huts  like 
the  Esquimaux." 

"  As  to  rest,"  said  Servadac,  "  we  shall  take  none  ;  we 
shall  keep  on  our  v/ay  continuously ;  by  travelling  day 
and  night  without  intermission,  we  shall  not  be  more  than 
three  days  in  reaching  Formentera." 

"  Believe  me,"  persisted  the  lieutenant,  calmly,  "  your 
enthusiasm  is  carrying  you  too  far  ;  the  feat  you  propose 
is  impossible ;  but  even  conceding  the  possibility  of  your 
success  in  reaching  your  destination,  what  service  do  you 
imagine   that  you,   half-starved    and    half-frozen  yourself, 


1 84  HECTOR   SERVAbAC 


could  render  to  those  who  are  ah'eady  perishing  by  want 
and  exposure  ?  you  would  only  bring  them  away  to  die." 

The  obvious  and  dispassionate  reasoning  of  the  lieu- 
tenant could  not  fail  to  impress  the  minds  of  those  who 
listened  to  him  ;  the  impracticability  of  the  journey  be- 
came more  and  more  apparent  ;  unprotected  on  that  drear 
expanse,  any  traveller  must  assuredly  succumb  to  the 
snow-drifts  that  were  continually  being  whirled  across  it. 
But  Hector  Servadac,  animated  "by  the  generous  desire  of 
rescuing  a  suffering  fellow-creature,  could  scarcely  be 
brought  within  the  bounds  of  common  sense.  Against 
his  better  judgment  he  was  still  bent  upon  the  expedition, 
and  Ben  Zoof  declared  himself  ready  to  accompany  his 
master  in  the  event  of  Count  TimaschefF  hesitating  to 
encounter  the  peril  which  the  undertaking  involved.  But 
the  count  entirely  repudiated  all  idea  of  shrinking  from 
what,  quite  as  much  as  the  captain,  he  regarded  as  a 
sacred  duty,  and  turning  to  Lieutenant  Procope,  told  him 
that  unless  some  better  plan  could  be  devised,  he  was 
prepared  to  start  off  at  once  and  make  the  attempt  to 
skate  across  to  Formentera.  The  lieutenant,  who  was  lost 
in  thought,  made  no  immediate  reply. 

"  I  wish  we  had  a  sledge,"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"  I  daresay  that  a  sledge  of  some  sort  could  be  con- 
trived," said  the  count ;  "  but  then  we  should  have  no  dogs 
or  reindeer  to  draw  it." 

"  Why  not  rough-shoe  the  two  horses  ?  " 

"  Tlicy  would  never  be  able  to  endure  the  cold,"  ob- 
jected the  count. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Servadac,  "  let  us  get  our  sledge  and 
put  them  to  the  test.     Something  must  be  done  !  " 

"I  think,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope,  breaking  his 
thoughtful  silence,  "  that  I  can  tell  you  of  a  sledge  already 
provided  for  your  hand,  and  I  can  suggest  a  motive  power 
surer  and  swifter  than  horses." 

"  What  do  you  mean  .-*  "  was  the  eager  inquiry. 

"  I  mean  the  Dobryna's  yawl,"  answered  the  lieutenant ; 
**  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  wind  would  carry  her  rapidly 
along  the  ice." 


A  SLEDGE-RIDE.  1 83 


The  idea  seemed  admirable.  Lieutenant  Procope  was 
well  aware  to  what  marvellous  perfection  the  Americans 
had  brought  their  sail-sledges,  and  had  heard  how  in  the 
vast  prairies  of  the  United  States  they  had  been  known  to 
outvie  the  speed  of  an  express  train,  occasionally  attaining 
a  rate  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles  an  hour.  The  wind 
was  still  blowing  hard  from  the  south,  and  assuming  that 
the  yawl  could  be  propelled  with  a  velocity  of  about  fifteen 
or  at  least  twelve  leagues  an  hour,  he  reckoned  that  it  was 
quite  possible  to  reach  Formentera  within  twelve  hours, 
that  is  to  say,  in  a  single  day  between  the  intervals  of 
sunrise  and  sunset. 

The  yawl  was  about  twelve  feet  long,  and  capable  of 
holding  five  or  six  people.  The  addition  of  a  couple  of 
iron  runners  would  be  all  that  was  requisite  to  convert  it 
into  an  excellent  sledge,  which,  if  a  sail  were  hoisted,  might 
be  deemed  certain  to  make  a  rapid  progress  over  the 
smooth  surface  of  the  ice.  For  the  protection  of  the 
passengers  it  was  proposed  to  erect  a  kind  of  wooden  roof 
lined  with  strong  cloth  ;  beneath  this  could  be  packed  a 
supply  of  provisions,  some  warm  furs,  some  cordials,  and  a 
portable  stove  to  be  heated  by  spirits  of  v/ine. 

For  the  outward  journey  the  wind  was  as  favourable  as 
could  be  desired  ;  but  it  was  to  be  apprehended  that, 
unless  the  direction  of  the  wind  should  change,  the  return 
would  be  a  matter  of  some  difficulty ;  a  system  of  tacking 
might  be  carried  out  to  a  certain  degree,  but  it  was  not 
likely  that  the  yawl  would  answer  her  helm  in  any  way 
corresponding  to  what  would  occur  in  the  open  sea.  Cap- 
tain Sep/adac,  however,  would  not  listen  to  any  representa- 
tion of  probable  difficulties ;  the  future,  he  said,  must 
provide  for  itself 

The  engineer  and  several  of  the  sailors  sat  vigourously 
to  work,  and  before  the  close  of  the  day  the  yawl  was 
furnished  with  a  pair  of  stout  iron  runners,  curved  upwards 
in  front,  and  fitted  with  a  metal  scull  designed  to  assist  in 
maintaining  the  directness  of  her  course  ;  the  roof  was  put 
on,  and  beneath  it  were  stored  the  provisions,  the  wraps, 
and  the  cooking  utensils.  . 


1 86  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


A  strong  desire  was  expressed  by  I  ieutenant  Procope 
that  he  should  be  allowed  to  accompany  Captain  Servadac 
instead  of  Count  Timascheff.  It  was  unadvisable  for  all 
three  of  them  to  go,  as,  in  case  of  there  being  several 
persons  to  be  rescued,  the  space  at  their  command  would 
be  quite  inadequate.  The  lieutenant  urged  that  he  was 
the  most  experienced  seaman,  and  as  such  was  best  quali^ 
fied  to  take  command  of  the  sledge  and  the  management 
of  the  sails  ;  and  as  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  Ser- 
vadac would  resign  his  intention  of  going  in  person  to 
relieve  his  fellow-countryman,  Procope  submitted  his  own 
wishes  to  the  count.  The  count  was  himself  verj'-  anxious 
to  have  his  share  in  the  philanthropic  enterprise,  and 
demurred  considerably  to  the  proposal ;  he  yielded,  how- 
ever, after  a  time  to  Servadac's  representations  that  in  the 
event  of  the  expedition  proving  disastrous,  the  little  colony 
would  need  his  services  alike  as  governour  and  protector, 
and  overcoming  his  reluctance  to  be  left  out  of  the  perilous 
adventure,  was  prevailed  upon  to  remain  behind  for  the 
general  good  of  the  community  at  Nina's  Hive. 

At  sunrise  on  the  following  morning,  the  i6th  of  April, 
Captain  Servadac  and  the  lieutenant  took  their  places  in 
the  yawl.  The  thermometer  was  more  than  20^  below 
zero,  and  it  was  with  deep  emotion  that  their  com- 
panions beheld  them  thus  embarking  upon  the  vast  white 
plain.  Ben  Zoof  s  heart  was  too  full  for  words  ;  Count 
Timascheff  could  not  forbear  pressing  his  two  brave 
friends  to  his  bosom ;  the  Spaniards  and  the  Russian 
sailors  crowded  round  for  a  farewell  shake  of  the  hand,  and 
little  Nina,  her  great  eyes  flooded  with  tears,  held  up  her 
face  for  a  parting  kiss.  The  sad  scene  was  not  permitted 
to  be  long.  The  sail  was  quickly  hoisted,  and  the  sledge, 
just  as  if  it  had  expanded  a  huge  white  wing,  was  in  a 
little  while  carried  far  away  beyond  the  horizon. 

Light  and  unimpeded,  the  yawl  scudded  on  with 
incredible  speed.  Two  sails,  a  brigantine  and  a  jib,  were 
arranged  to  catch  the  wind  to  the  greatest  advantage,  and 
the  travellers  estimated  that  their  progress  would  be  little 


A  SLEDGE-RIDE.  1 8/ 


under  the  rate  of  twelve  leagues  an  hour.  The  motion  of 
their  novel  vehicle  was  singularly  gentle,  the  oscillation 
being  less  than  that  of  an  ordinary  railway-carriage,  while 
the  diminished  force  of  gravity  contributed  to  the  swift- 
ness. Except  that  the  clouds  of  ice-dust  raised  by  the 
metal  runners  were  an  evidence  that  they  had  not  actually 
left  the  level  surface  of  the  ice,  the  captain  and  lieutenant 
might  again  and  again  have  imagined  that  they  were  being 
conveyed  through  the  air  in  a  balloon. 

Lieutenant  Procope,  with  his  head  all  muffled  up  for 
fear  of  frost-bite,  took  an  occasional  peep  through  an 
aperture  that  had  been  intentionally  left  in  the  roof,  and 
by  the  help  of  a  compass,  maintained  a  proper  and  straight 
course  for  Formentera.  Nothing  could  be  more  dejected 
^han  the  aspect  of  that  frozen  sea ;  not  a  single  living 
creature  relieved  the  solitude  ;  both  the  travellers,  Procope 
from  a  scientific  point  of  view,  Servadac  from  an  aesthetic, 
were  alike  impressed  by  the  solemnity  of  the  scene,  and 
when  the  lengthened  shadow  of  the  sail  cast  upon  the  ice 
by  the  oblique  rays  of  the  setting  sun  had  disappeared, 
and  day  had  given  place  to  night,  the  two  men,  drawn 
together  as  by  an  involuntary  impulse,  mutually  held  each 
other's  hands  in  silence. 

There  had  been  a  new  moon  on  the  previous  evening ; 
but,  in  the  absence  of  moonlight,  the  constellations  shone 
with  remarkable  brilliancy.  The  new  pole-star  close  upon 
the  horizon  was  resplendent,  and  even  had  Lieutenant 
Procope  been  destitute  of  a  compass,  he  would  have 
had  no  difficulty  in  holding  his  course  by  the  guidance  of 
that  alone.  However  great  was  the  distance  that  separated 
Gallia  from  the  sun,  it  was  after  all  manifestly  insignificant 
in  comparison  with  the  remoteness  of  the  nearest  of  the 
fixed  stars. 

Observing  that  Servadac  was  completely  absorbed  in 
his  own  thoughts,  Lieutenant  Procope  had  leisure  to  con- 
template some  of  the  present  perplexing  problems,  and  to 
ponder  over  the  true  astronomical  position.  The  last  o/ 
tlie   three    mysterious    documents    had    represented    that 


1 88  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

Gallia,  in  conformity  with  Kepler's  second  law,  had  travel- 
led along  her  orbit  during  the  month  of  March  twenty 
millions  of  leagues  less  than  she  had  done  in  the  previous 
month  ;  yet,  in  the  same  time,  her  distance  from  the  sun 
had  nevertheless  been  increased  by  thirty-two  millions  of 
leagues.  She  was  now,  therefore,  in  the  centre  of  the  zone 
of  telescopic  planets  that  revolve  between  the  orbits  of 
Mars  and  Jupiter,  and  had  captured  for  herself  a  satellite 
which,  according  to  the  document,  was  Nerina,  one  of  the 
asteroids  most  recently  identified.  If  thus,  then,  it  was 
within  the  power  of  the  unknown  writer  to  estimate  with 
such  apparent  certainty  Gallia's  exact  position,  was  it  not 
likely  that  his  mathematical  calculations  would  enable  him 
to  arrive  at  some  definite  conclusion  as  to  the  date  at 
which  she  would  begin  again  to  approach  the  sun  ?  Nay, 
was  it  not  to  be  expected  that  he  had  already  estimated, 
with  sufficient  approximation  to  truth,  what  was  to  be  the 
true  length  of  the  Gallian  year  ? 

So  intently  had  they  each  separately  been  following 
their  own  train  of  thought,  that  daylight  re-appeared 
almost  before  the  travellers  were  aware  of  it.  On  con- 
sulting their  instruments,  they  found  that  they  must  have 
travelled  close  upon  a  hundred  leagues  since  they  started, 
and  they  resolved  to  slacken  their  speed.  The  sails  were 
accordingly  taken  in  a  little,  and  in  spite  of  the  intensity 
of  the  cold,  the  explorers  ventured  out  of  their  shelter,  in 
order  that  they  might  reconnoitre  the  plain,  which  was 
apparently  as  boundless  as  ever.  It  was  completely 
desert  ;  not  so  much  as  a  single  point  of  rock  relieved  the 
bare  uniformity  of  its  surface. 

"  Are  we  not  considerably  to  the  west  of  Formentera  .-' " 
asked  Servadac,  after  examining  the  chart. 

"  Most  likely,"  replied  Procope.  "  I  have  taken  the 
same  course  as  I  should  have  done  at  sea,  and  I  have  kept 
some  distance  to  windward  of  the  island  ;  we  can  bear 
straight  down  upon  it  whenever  we  like." 

"  Bear  down  then,  now  ;  and  as  quickly  as  you  can." 

The  yawl  was  at  once  put  with  her  head  to  the  north 


A  SLEDGE-RIDE.  1 89 


east,  and  Captain  Servadac,  in  defiance  of  the  icy  blast, 
remained  standing  at  the  bow,  his  gaze  fixed  on  the 
horizon. 

All  at  once  his  eye  brightened. 

"  Look,  look  ! "  he  exclaimed,  pointing  to  a  faint  out- 
line that  broke  the  monotony  of  the  circle  that  divided  the 
plain  from  the  sky. 

In  an  instant  the  lieutenant  had  seized  his  telescope. 

"  I  see  what  you  mean,"  said  he  ;  "  it  is  a  pylone  that 
has  been  used  for  some  geodesic  survey," 

The  next  moment  the  sail  was  filled,  and  the  yawl  was 
bearing  down  upon  the  object  with  inconceivable  swiftness, 
both  Captain  Servadac  and  the  lieutenant  too  excited  to 
utter  a  word.  Mile  after  mile  the  distance  rapidly  grew 
less,  and  as  they  drew  nearer  the  pylone  they  could  see 
that  it  was  erected  on  a  low  mass  of  rocks  that  was  the 
sole  interruption  to  the  dull  level  of  the  field  of  ice.  No 
wreath  of  smoke  rose  above  the  little  island  ;  it  was 
manifestly  impossible,  they  conceived,  that  any  human 
being  could  there  have  survived  the  cold;  the  sad  pre- 
sentiment forced  itself  upon  their  minds  that  it  was  a  mere 
cairn  to  which  they  had  been  hurrj^'ing. 

Ten  minutes  later,  and  they  were  so  near  the  rock  that 
the  lieutenant  took  in  his  sail,  convinced  that  the  impetus 
already  attained  would  be  sufficient  to  carry  him  to  the 
land.  Servadac's  heart  bounded  as  he  caught  sight  of  a 
fragment  of  blue  canvas  fluttering  in  the  wind  from  the  top 
of  the  pylone  :  it  was  all  that  now  remained  of  the 
French  national  standard.  At  the  foot  of  the  pylone 
stood  a  miserable  shed,  its  shutters  tightly  closed.  No 
other  habitation  was  to  be  seen  ;  the  entire  island  was  less 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  circumference;  and  the  con- 
clusion was  irresistible  that  it  was  the  sole  surviving 
remnant  of  Formentera,  once  a  member  of  the  Balearic 
Archipelago. 

To  leap  on  shore,  to  clamber  over  the  slipper^'  stones, 
and  to  reach  the  cabin  was  but  the  work  of  a  few  moments. 
The  worm-eaten  door  was  bolted  on  the  inside.     Servadac 


IQO  HECTOR   SERVAUAC. 


began  to  knock  with  all  his  might.  No  answer.  Neither 
shouting  nor  knocking  could  draw  forth  a  reply. 

"  Let  us  force  it  open,  Procope  !  "  he  said. 

The  two  men  put  their  shoulders  to  the  door,  which 
soon  yielded  to  their  vigourous  efforts,  and  they  found 
themselves  inside  the  shed,  and  in  almost  total  darkness. 
By  opening  a  shutter  they  admitted  what  daylight  they 
could.  At  first  sight  the  wretched  place  seemed  to  be 
deserted  ;  the  little  grate  contained  the  ashes  of  a  fire  long 
since  extinguished;  all  looked  black  and  desolate.  Another 
instant's  investigation,  however,  revealed  a  bed  in  tlie 
extreme  corner,  and  extended  on  the  bed  a  human  form. 

"  Dead  !  "  sighed  Servadac  ;  "  dead  of  cold  and  hunger  ! " 

Lieutenant  Procope  bent  down  and  anxiously  contem- 
plated the  body. 

"  No  ;  he  is  alive !  "  he  said,  and  drawing  a  small  flask 
from  his  pocket  he  poured  a  few  drops  of  brandy  between 
the  lips  of  the  senseless  man. 

There  was  a  faint  sigh,  followed  by  a  feeble  voice,  which 
uttered  the  one  word — 

"Gallia?" 

"  Yes,  yes  !  Gallia ! "  echoed  Servadac,  eagerly. 

"  My  comet,  my  comet !  "  said  the  voice,  so  low  as  to  be 
almost  inaudible,  and  the  unfortunate  man  relapsed  again 
into  unconsciousness. 

"  Where  have  I  seen  this  man  ? "  thought  Servadac  to 
himself ;  "  his  face  is  strangely  familiar  to  me." 

But  it  was  no  time  for  deliberation.  Not  a  moment 
was  to  be  lost  in  getting  the  unconscious  astronomer  away 
from  his  desolate  quarters.  He  was  soon  conveyed  to  the 
yawl ;  his  books,  his  scanty  wardrobe,  his  papers,  his 
instruments,  and  the  black  board  which  had  served  for  his 
calculations,  were  quickly  collected  ;  the  wind,  by  a  for- 
tuitous Providence,  had  shifted  into  a  favourable  quarter ; 
they  set  their  sail  with  all  speed,  and  ere  long  were  on  their 
journey  back  from  Formentera. 

Thirty-six  hours  later,  the  brave  travellers  were  greeted 
by  the  acclamations  of  their  fellow-colonists,  who  had  been 


A  SLEDGE-RIDE.  I91 


most  anxiously  awaiting  their  re-appearance,  and  the  still 
senseless  savant,  who  had  neither  opened  his  eyes  nor 
spoken  a  word  throughout  the  journey,  was  safely  de- 
posited in  the  warmth  and  security  of  the  great  hall  of 
Nina's  Hive. 


SNP  OF  FIRST  PART, 


t^  J\.  X\.  1       11 


CHAPTER  L 

THE  ASTRONOMER. 

By  the  return  of  the  expedition,  conveying  its  contribution 
from  Formentera,  the  known  population  of  Gallia  was 
raised  to  a  total  of  thirty-six. 

On  learning  the  details  of  his  friends'  discoveries, 
Count  Timascheff  did  not  hesitate  in  believing  that  the 
exhausted  individual  who  was  lying  before  him  was  the 
author  alike  of  the  two  unsigned  documents  picked  up  at 
sea,  and  of  the  third  statement  so  recently  brought  to 
hand  by  the  carrier-pigeon.  Manifestly,  he  had  arrived  at 
some  knowledge  of  Gallia's  movements  :  he  had  estimated 
her  distance  from  the  sun ;  he  had  calculated  the  diminu- 
tion of  her  tangential  speed  ;  but  there  was  nothing  to 
show  that  he  had  arrived  at  the  conclusions  which  were  ot 
the  most  paramount  interest  to  them  all.  Had  he  ascer- 
tained the  true  character  of  her  orbit  ?  had  he  established 
any  data  from  which  it  would  be  possible  to  reckon  what 
time  must  elapse  before  she  would  again  approach  the 
earth } 

The  only  intelligible  words  which  the  astronomer  had 
uttered  had  been,  "  My  comet ! " 

To  what  could  the  exclamation  refer .?  Was  it  to  be 
conjectured  that  a  fragment  of  the  earth  had  been  chipped 
off  by  the  collision  of  a  comet .-'  and  if  so,  was  it  implied 
that  the  name  of  the  comet  itself  was  Gallia,  and  were 
they  mistaken  in  supposing  that  such  was  tlie  name  given 


ig6  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


by  the  savant  to  the  little  world  that  had  been  so  suddenly 
launched  into  space?  Again  and  again  they  discussed 
these  questions ;  but  no  satisfactory  answer  could  be  found. 
The  only  man  who  was  able  to  throw  any  light  upon  the 
subject  was  lying  amongst  them  in  an  unconscious  and 
half-dying  condition. 

Apart  from  motives  of  humanity,  motives  of  self- 
interest  made  it  a  matter  of  the  deepest  concern  to  restore 
animation  to  that  senseless  form.  Ben  Zoof,  after  making 
the  encouraging  remark  that  savants  have  as  many  lives 
as  a  cat,  proceeded,  with  Negrete's  assistance,  to  give  the 
body  such  a  vigourous  rubbing  as  would  have  threatened 
serious  injury  to  any  ordinary  mortal,  whilst  they  ad- 
ministered cordials  and  restoratives  from  the  Dobrynds 
medical  stores  powerful  enough,  one  might  think,  to  rouse 
the  very  dead. 

Meanwhile  the  captain  was  racking  his  brain  in  his 
exertions  to  recall  what  were  the  circumstances  of  his 
previous  acquaintance  with  the  Frenchman  upon  whose 
features  he  was  gazing ;  he  only  grew  more  and  more  con- 
vinced that  he  had  once  been  familiar  with  them.  Perhaps 
it  was  not  altogether  surprising  that  he  had  almost  for- 
gotten him  ;  he  had  never  seen  him  since  the  days  of  his 
youth,  that  time  of  life  which,  with  a  certain  show  of  justice, 
has  been  termed  the  age  of  ingratitude  ;  for,  in  point  of 
fact,  the  astronomer  was  none  other  than  Professor 
Palmyrin  Rosette,  Servadac's  old  science-master  at  the 
Lycee  Charlemagne. 

After  completing  his  year  of  elementary  studies, 
Hector  Servadac  had  entered  the  school  at  Saint  Cyr,  and 
from  that  time  he  and  his  former  tutor  had  never  met,  so 
that  naturally  they  would  well-nigh  pass  from  each  other's 
recollection.  One  thing,  however,  on  the  other  hand,  might 
conduce  to  a  mutual  and  permanent  impression  on  their 
memories  ;  during  the  year  at  the  Lycee,  young  Servadac, 
never  of  a  very  studious  turn  of  mind,  had  contrived,  as  the 
ringleader  of  a  set  of  like  calibre  as  himself,  to  lead  the 
poor  professor  a  life  of  perpetual  torment.     If  grains  q\ 


THE  ASTRONOMER-  I97 

nitrous  salts  were  surreptitiously  mixed  with  the  distilled 
water  in  the  laboratory  so  that  various  chemical  experi- 
ments terminated  with  the  most  unexpected  results ;  if  a 
portion  of  quicksilver  was  extracted  from  the  tube  of  the 
barometer  so  that  the  instrument  registered  a  condition  of 
things  quite  anomalous  to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  ;  if 
the  thermometer  was  cunningly  heated  just  at  the  very 
moment  when  the  professor  was  known  to  be  going  to 
consult  it ;  if  living  insects  were  found  to  be  crawling  be- 
tween the  lenses  of  the  telescope ;  if  the  isolation  of  the 
electric  battery  was  clandestinely  destroyed  so  that  not  a 
spark  could  be  elicited  ;  if  a  hole  infinitesimally  small 
was  punctured  in  the  pneumatic  machine  so  that  no  per- 
severance could  exhaust  the  air ;  every  trick  was  sure  to 
be  traced  to  Servadac  at  the  head  of  his  mischievous 
accomplices,  whose  enjoyment  of  the  joke  was  intensified 
to  no  small  degree  by  the  uncontrolled  fury  of  the  dis- 
concerted professor.  The  little  man  on  the  discovery  of 
each  delinquency  would  fume  and  rage  in  a  manner  that 
was  a  source  of  unbounded  delight  to  his  audience. 

Two  years  after  Servadac  left  the  Lyc(fe,  Professor 
Rosette  had  thrown  up  all  educational  employment  in 
order  that  he  might  devote  himself  entirely  to  the  study 
of  astronomy.  He  endeavoured  to  obtain  a  post  at  the 
Observatory,  but  his  ungenial  character  was  so  well  known 
in  scientific  circles  that  he  failed  in  his  application ;  how- 
ever, having  some  small  private  means,  he  determined  on 
his  own  account  to  carry  on  his  researches  without  any 
official  salary.  He  had  really  considerable  genius  for  the 
science  that  he  had  adopted  ;  besides  discovering  three  of 
the  latest  of  the  telescopic  planets,  he  had  worked  out  the 
elements  of  the  three  hundred  and  twenty-fifth  comet  in 
the  catalogue ;  but  his  chief  delight  was  to  criticize  the 
publications  of  other  astronomers,  and  he  was  never  better 
pleased  than  when  he  detected  a  flaw  in  their  reckonings. 

When  Ben  Zoof  and  Negrete  had  extricated  their 
patient  from  the  envelope  of  furs  in  which  he  had  been 
wrapped  by  Servadac  and  the  lieutenant,  they  found  them- 


198  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

selves  face  to  face  with  a  shrivelled  little  man,  aboat  five 
feet  two  inches  high,  with  a  round  bald  head,  smooth  and 
shiny  as  an  ostrich's  egg,  no  beard  unless  the  unshorn 
growth  of  a  week  could  be  so  described,  and  a  long  hooked 
nose  that  supported  a  huge  pair  of  spectacles  such  as  with 
many  near-sighted  people  seems  to  have  become  a  part  of 
their  individuality.  His  nei-vous  system  was  remarkably 
developed,  and  his  body  might  not  inaptly  be  compared  to 
one  of  the  Rhumkorff  bobbins  of  which  the  thread,  several 
hundred  yards  in  length,  is  permeated  throughout  by 
electric  fluid.  But  whatever  he  was,  his  life,  if  possible, 
must  be  preserved.  When  he  had  been  partially  divested 
of  his  clothing,  his  heart  was  found  to  be  still  beating, 
though  very  feebly.  Asserting  that  while  there  was  life 
there  was  hope,  Ben  Zoof  re-commenced  his  friction  with 
more  vigour  than  ever,  humming  all  the  time  (as  though 
he  were  polishing  his  sabre  for  parade)  the  military  refrain : 

•'  Au  tnpoli,  •  fils  de  la  gloire, 
Tu  dois  I'eclat  de  ton  acier. " 

When  the  rubbing  had  been  continued  without  a 
moment's  intermission  for  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour, 
the  astronomer  heaved  a  faint  sigh,  which  ere  long  was 
followed  by  another  and  another.  He  half  opened  his 
eyes,  closed  them  again,  then  opened  them  completely,  but 
without  exhibiting  any  consciousness  whatever  of  his 
situation.  A  few  words  seemed  to  escape  his  lips,  but 
they  were  quite  unintelligible.  Presently  he  raised  his 
right  hand  to  his  forehead  as  though  instinctively  feeling 
for  something  that  was  missing  ;  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  his 
features  became  contracted,  his  face  flushed  with  apparen*: 
irritation,  and  he  exclaimed  fretfully : 

"  My  spectacles  ! — where  are  my  spectacles  ?  " 

In  order   to   facilitate  his  operations,  Ben    Zoof  had 

removed  the  spectacles  in  spite  of  the  tenacity  with  which 

they  seemed  to  adhere  to  the  temples  of  his  patient ;  but 

he  now  rapidly  brought  them  back  and  re-adjusted  them 

•  Tripoli :  a  powder  for  polishing  meUls. 


THE  ASTRONOMER,  199 


as  best  he  could  to  what  seemed  to  be  their  natural 
position  on  the  aquiline  nose.  The  professor  heaved  a 
long  sigh  of  relief,  and  once  more  closed  his  eyes. 

Before  long  the  astronomer  roused  himself  a  little 
more,  and  glanced  inquiringly  about  him,  but  soon  relapsed 
into  his  comatose  condition. 

When  next  he  opened  his  eyes,  Captain  Servadac  hap- 
pened to  be  bending  down  closely  over  him,  examining  his 
features  with  curious  scrutiny.  The  old  man  darted  an 
angry  look  at  him  through  the  spectacles,  and  said 
sharply : 

"  Servadac,  five  hundred  lines  to-morrow  I " 
It  was  an  echo  of  days  of  old.     The  words  were  few, 
but  they  were  enough  to  recall  the  identity  which  Ser- 
vadac was  trying  to  make  out. 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Here  is  my  old 
tutor,  Mr,  Rosette,  in  very  flesh  and  blood." 

"  Can't  say  much  for  the  flesh,"  muttered  Ben  Zoof. 
The   old   man   had   again   fallen   back   into   a  torpid 
slumber.     Ben  Zoof  continued  : 

"  His  sleep  is  getting  more  composed.  Let  him  alone  ; 
he  will  come  round  yet  Haven't  I  heard  of  men  more 
dried  up  than  he  is,  being  brought  all  the  way  from  Egypt 
in  cases  covered  with  pictures  ?  " 

"  You  idiot ! — those  were  mummies  ;  they  had  been 
dead  for  ages." 

Ben  Zoof  did  not  answer  a  word.  He  went  on  pre- 
paring a  warm  bed,  into  which  he  managed  to  remove  his 
patient,  who  appeared  very  soon  to  fall  into  a  calm  and 
natural  sleep. 

Too  impatient  to  await  the  awakening  of  the  astro- 
nomer and  to  hear  what  representations  he  had  to  make, 
Servadac,  the  count,  and  the  lieutenant,  constituting  them- 
selves what  might  be  designated  "  the  Academy  of 
Scierxes  "  of  the  colony,  spent  the  whole  of  the  remainder 
of  the  day  in  starting  and  discussing  the  wildest  conjec- 
tures about  their  situation.  The  hypothesis,  to  which  they 
had  now  accustomed  themselves  for  so  long,  that  a  new 


200  HECTOR    SERVADAC. 


asteroid  had  been  formed  by  a  fracture  of  the  earth's  sur- 
face, seemed  to  fall  to  the  ground  when  they  found  that 
Professor  Palmyrin  Rosette  had  associated  the  name  of 
Gallia,  not  with  their  present  home,  but  with  what  he 
called  "  my,  comet ; "  and  that  theory  being  abandoned, 
they  were  driven  to  make  the  most  improbable  specula- 
tions to  replace  it. 

Alluding  to  Rosette,  Servadac  took  care  to  inform  his 
companions  that,  although  the  professor  was  always 
eccentric,  and  at  times  very  irascible,  yet  he  was  really 
exceedingly  good-hearted ;  his  bark  was  worse  than  his 
bite ;  and  if  suffered  to  take  their  course  without  observa- 
tion, his  outbreaks  of  ill-temper  seldom  lasted  long. 

"We  will  certainly  do  our  best  to  get  on  with  him," 
said  the  count  "  He  is  no  doubt  the  author  of  the  papers, 
and  we  must  hope  that  he  will  be  able  to  give  us  some 
valuable  information," 

"  Beyond  a  question  the  documents  have  originated 
with  him,"  assented  the  lieutenant.  "  Gallia  was  the  word 
written  at  the  top  of  every  one  of  them,  and  Gallia  was 
the  first  word  uttered  by  him  in  our  hearing," 

The  astronomer  slept  on.  Meanwhile,  the  three 
together  had  no  hesitation  in  examining  his  papers,  and 
scrutinizing  the  figures  on  his  extemporized  black  board. 
The  handwriting  corresponded  with  that  of  the  papers 
already  received  ;  the  black  board  was  covered  with  alge- 
braical symbols  traced  in  chalk,  which  they  were  careful 
not  to  obhterate  ;  and  the  papers,  which  consisted  for  the 
most  part  of  detached  scraps,  presented  a  perfect  wilder- 
ness of  geometrical  figures,  conic  sections  of  every  variety 
being  repeated  in  countless  profusion. 

Lieutenant  Procope  pointed  out  that  these  curves 
evidently  had  reference  to  the  orbits  of  comets,  which  are 
variously  parabolic,  hyperbolic,  or  elliptic.  If  either  of 
the  first  two,  the  comet,  after  once  appearing  within  the 
range  of  terrestrial  vision,  would  vanish  for  ever  in  the 
outlying  regions  of  space ;  if  the  last,  it  would  be  sure, 
sooner  or  later,  after  some  periodic  interval,  to  return. 


THE  ASTRONOMER.  201 

From  ih^primd  facie  appearance  of  his  papers,  then,  it 
seemed  probable  that  the  astronomer,  during  his  sojourn 
at  Formentera,  had  been  devoting  himself  to  the  study  of 
cometary  orbits  ;  and  as  calculations  of  this  kind  are 
ordinarily  based  upon  the  assumption  that  the  orbit  is  a 
parabola,  it  was  not  unlikely  that  he  had  been  endeavour- 
ing to  trace  the  path  of  some  particular  comet 

"  I  wonder  whether  these  calculations  were  made 
before  or  after  the  1st  of  January:  it  makes  all  the  dif- 
ference," said  Lieutenant  Procope. 

"  We  must  bide  our  time  and  hear,"  replied  the  count. 

Servadac  paced  restlessly  up  and  down. 

"  I  would  give  a  month  of  my  life,"  he  cried,  impetu- 
ously, "for  every  hour  that  the  old  fellow  goes  sleeping 
on. 

"  You  might  be  making  a  bad  bargain,"  said  Procope, 
smiling.  "  Perhaps  after  all  the  comet  has  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  convulsion  that  we  have  experienced." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  ;  "  I  know  better 
than  that,  and  so  do  you.  Is  it  not  as  clear  as  daylight 
that  the  earth  and  this  comet  have  been  in  collision,  and 
the  result  has  been  that  our  little  world  has  been  split  off 
and  sent  flying  far  into  space  ?  " 

Count  Timaschefif  and  the  lieutenant  looked  at  each 
other  in  silence. 

"  I  do  not  deny  your  theory,"  said  Procope  after  a 
while.  "  If  it  be  correct,  I  suppose  we  must  conclude  that 
the  enormous  disc  we  observed  on  the  night  of  the  catas- 
trophe was  the  comet  itself ;  and  the  velocity  witli  which 
it  was  travelling  must  have  been  so  great  that  it  was 
hardly  arrested  at  all  by  the  attraction  of  the  earth." 

"Plausible  enough,"  answered  Count  Timaschefif;  "and 
it  is  to  this  comet  that  our  scientific  friend  here  has  given 
the  name  of  Gallia." 

It  still  remained  a  puzzle  to  them  all  why  the  astro- 
nomer should  apparently  be  interested  in  the  comet  so 
much  more  than  in  the  new  little  world  in  which  their 
strange  lot  was  cast. 


203  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

*  Can  you  explain  this  ?  "  asked  the  count 

"  There  is  no  accounting  for  the  freaks  of  philosophers, 
you  know,"  said  Servadac  ;  "  and  have  I  not  told  you  that 
this  philosopher  in  particular  is  one  of  the  most  eccentric 
beings  in  creation  ?  " 

"  Besides,"  added  the  lieutenant,  "  it  is  exceedingly 
likely  that  his  observations  had  been  going  on  for  some 
considerable  period  before  the  convulsion  happened." 

Thus,  the  general  conclusion  arrived  at  by  the  Gallian 
Academy  of  Science  was  this  :  That  on  the  night  of  the 
31st  of  December,  a  comet,  crossing  the  ecliptic,  had  come 
into  collision  with  the  earth,  and  that  the  violence  of  the 
shock  had  separated  a  huge  fragment  from  the  globe,  which 
fragment  from  that  date  had  been  traversing  the  remote 
inter-planetary  regions. 

Palmyrin  Rosette  would  d'^^btless  confirm  their  solu- 
tion of  the  phenomeaoa. 


CHAPTER   IL 

A  REVELATION. 

To  the  general  population  of  the  colony  the  arrival  of  the 

stranger  was  a  matter  of  small  interest.  The  Spaniards 
were  naturally  too  indolent  to  be  affected  in  any  way 
by  an  incident  that  concerned  themselves  so  remotely  ; 
vhile  the  Russians  felt  themselves  simply  reliant  on 
\heir  master,  and  as  long  as  they  were  with  him 
ivere  careless  as  to  where  or  how  they  spent  their  days. 
Everything  went  on  with  them  in  an  accustomed  routine  ; 
and  they  lay  down  night  after  night,  and  awoke  to  their 
avocations  morning  after  morning,  just  as  if  nothing  extra- 
ordinary had  occurred. 

All  night  long  Ben  Zoof  would  not  leave  the  professor's 
bedside.  He  had  constituted  himself  sick  nurse,  and  con- 
sidered his  reputation  at  stake  if  he  failed  to  set  his  patient 
on  his  feet  again.  He  watched  every  movement,  listened 
to  every  breath,  and  never  failed  to  administer  the  strongest 
cordials  upon  the  slightest  pretext.  Even  in  his  sleep 
Rosette's  irritable  nature  revealed  itself.  Ever  and  again, 
sometimes  in  a  tone  of  uneasiness,  and  sometimes  with  the 
expression  of  positive  anger,  the  name  of  Gallia  escaped 
his  lips,  as  though  he  were  dreaming  that  his  claim  to  the 
discovery  of  the  comet  was  being  contested  or  denied  ;  but 
although  his  attendant  was  on  the  alert  to  gather  all  he 
could,  he  was  able  to  catch  nothing  in  the  incoherent 
sentences  that  served  to  throw  any  real  light  upon  the 
problem  that  they  were  all  eager  to  solve. 


204  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


Gradually,  however,  the  uneasy  murmurings  subsided, 
and  gave  place  to  snores,  deep  and  sonorous,  which 
augured  favourably  for  an  ultimate  recovery. 

When  the  sun  re-appeared  on  the  western  horizon  the 
professor  was  still  sound  asleep  ;  and  Ben  Zoof,  who  was 
especially  anxious  that  the  repose  which  promised  to  be 
so  beneficial  should  not  be  disturbed,  felt  considerable 
annoyance  at  hearing  a  loud  knocking,  evidently  of  some 
blunt  heavy  instrument  against  a  door  that  had  been 
placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  gallery,  more  for  the  purpose 
of  retaining  internal  warmth  than  for  guarding  against 
intrusion  from  without.  The  first  thought  of  the  orderly 
was  that  he  would  leave  his  patient  and  go  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  but  finding  that  the  noise 
had  ceased,  and  remembering  that  there  were  others  at 
hand  to  attend  to  the  door,  he  resolved  to  remain  where 
he  was. 

It  was  not  very  long,  however,  before  the  knocking 
began  again,  Ben  Zoof  waited  and  waited  on,  in  the 
expectation  that  the  noise  would  attract  attention  else- 
where ;  but  the  sleep  of  the  inmates  of  Nina's  Hive  was 
too  profound  to  be  broken. 

The  knocking  still  went  on. 

"  Confound  it !  "  said  Ben  Zoof,  "  I  must  put  a  stop  to 
this  ; "  and  he  made  his  way  towards  the  door, 

"  Who's  there  .'' "  he  cried,  in  no  very  amiable  tone. 

"  I,"  replied  a  quavering  voice. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Isaac  Hakkabut.     Let  me  in  ;  do,  please,  let  me  in." 

"  Oh,  it  is  you,  old  Ashtaroth,  is  it  ,-*  What  do  you 
want .''     Can't  you  get  anybody  to  buy  your  stuffs  ?  " 

"  Nobody  will  pay  me  a  proper  price," 

"Well,  old  Shimei,  you  won't  find  a  customer  here. 
You  had  better  be  off." 

"No;  but  do,  please — do,  please,  let  me  in,"  suppli- 
cated the  Jew,  "  I  want  to  speak  to  his  Excellency,  the 
governour." 

"  The  governour  is  in  bed,  and  asleep." 


1 


A  REVELATION.  205 


"  I  can  wait  until  he  awakes." 

"  Then  wait  where  you  are." 

And  with  this  inhospitable  rejoinder  the  orderly  was 
about  to  return  to  his  place  at  the  side  of  his  patient,  when 
Servadac,  who  had  been  roused  by  the  sound  of  voices, 
called  out : 

"  What's  the  matter,  Ben  Zoof  ? " 

"Oh,  nothing,  sir;  only  that  hound  of  a  Hakkabut 
says  he  wants  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Let  him  in,  then." 

Ben  Zoof  hesitated. 

"  Let  him  in,  I  say,"  repeated  the  captain,  peremptorily. 

However  reluctantly,  Ben  Zoof  obeyed. 

The  door  was  unfastened,  and  Isaac  Hakkabut 
enveloped  in  an  old  overcoat,  shuffled  into  the  gallery. 

In  a  few  moments  Servadac  approached,  and  the  Jew 
began  to  overwhelm  him  with  the  most  obsequious  epi- 
thets. Without  vouchsafing  any  reply,  the  captain 
beckoned  to  the  old  man  to  follow  him,  and  leading  the 
way  to  the  central  hall,  stopped,  and  turning  so  as  to  look 
him  steadily  in  the  face,  said  : 

"  Now  is  your  opportunity.     Tell  me  what  you  want." 

**  Oh,  my  lord,  my  lord,"  whined  Isaac,  "  you  must  have 
some  news  to  tell  me." 

"  News  ?     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  From  my  little  tartan  yonder,  I  saw  the  yawl  go  out 
from  the  rock  here  on  a  journey,  and  I  saw  it  come  back, 
and  it  brought  a  stranger  ;  and  I  thought — I  thought — I 
thought " 

"  Well,  you  thought — what  did  you  think  ?  " 

"Why,  that  perhaps  the  stranger  had  come  trom  the 
northern  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  that  I  might 
ask  him " 

He  paused  again,  and  gave  an  inquiring  glance  at  the 
captain. 

"  Ask  him  what  ?     Speak  out,  man  .''  " 

**  Ask  him  if  he  brings  any  tidings  of  Europe,"  Hak- 
kabut blurted  out  at  last. 


206  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


Servadac  shrugged  his  shoulders  in  contempt  and 
turned  away.  Here  was  a  man  who  had  been  resident 
three  months  in  Gallia,  a  living  witness  of  all  the  abnormal 
phenomena  that  had  occurred,  and  yet  refusing  to  believe 
that  his  hope  of  making  good  bargains  with  European 
traders  was  at  an  end.  Surely  nothing,  thought  the 
captain,  will  convince  the  old  rascal  now;  and  he  moved 
off  in  disgust.  The  orderly,  however,  who  had  listened 
with  much  amusement,  was  by  no  means  disinclined  for 
the  conversation  to  be  continued. 

"  Are  you  satisfied,  old  Ezekiel .? "  he  asked. 

"  Isn't  it  so  ?  Am  I  not  right  >  Didn't  a  stranger 
arrive  here  last  night  ? "  inquired  the  Jew. 

"  Yes,  quite  true." 

"Where  from.?" 

"  From  the  Balearic  Isles." 

"  The  Balearic  Isles  ? "  echoed  Isaac. 

"Yes." 

"  Fine  quarters  for  trade  !  Hardly  five  and  twenty 
.eagues  from  Spain!     He  must  have  brought  news  from 

Europe !  " 

"  Well,  old  Manasseh,  what  if  he  has  ?  " 

«  I  should  like  to  see  him." 

"  Can't  be." 

The  Jew  sidled  close  up  to  Ben  Zoof,  and  laying  his 
hand  on  his  arm,  said  in  a  low  and  insinuating  tone : 

"  I  am  poor,  you  know ;  but  I  would  give  you  a  few 
reals  if  you  would  let  me  talk  to  this  stranger." 

But  as  if  he  thought  he  was  making  too  liberal  an 
offer,  he  added : 

"  Only  it  must  be  at  once.** 

"He  is  too  tired  ;  he  is  worn  out ;  he  is  fast  asleep," 
answered  Ben  Zoof. 

"  But  I  would  pay  you  to  wake  him.** 

The  captain  had  overheard  the  tenour  of  the  con- 
versation, and  interposed  sternly : 

"  Hakkabut !  if  you  make  the  least  attempt  to  disturb 
our  visitor,  I  shall  have  you  turned  outside  that  door  im 
mediatelv." 


A  REVELATION.  207 


**  No  offence,  my  lord,  I  hope,"  stammered  out  the  Jew. 
**  I  only  meant .  . .  ." 

**  Silence ! "  shouted  Servadac. 

The  old  man  hung  his  head,  abashed. 

"I  will  tell  you  what,"  said  Servadac  after  a  brief 
interval ;  "  I  will  give  you  leave  to  hear  what  this  stranger 
has  to  tell  as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  tell  us  anything ;  at 
present  we  have  not  heard  a  word  from  his  lips." 

The  Jew  looked  perplexed. 

"  Yes,"  said  Servadac ;  "  when  we  hear  his  story,  you 
shall  hear  it  too." 

"And  I  hope  it  will  be  to  your  liking,  old  Ezekiell" 
added  Ben  Zoof  in  a  voice  of  irony. 

^  They  had  none  of  them  long  to  wait,  for  within  a  few 
minutes  Rosette's  peevish  voice  was  heard  calling  : 

"Joseph!  Joseph!" 

The  professor  did  not  open  his  eyes,  and  appeared  to 
be  slumbering  on,  but  very  shortly  afterwards  called  out 
again  : 

"Joseph  1     Confound  the  fellow !  where  is  he  ? " 
It   was  evident  that  he  was  half  dreaming  about  a 
former  servant  now  far  away  on  the  ancient  globe. 
"  Where's  my  black  board,  Joseph  .? " 
"  Quite  safe,  sir,"  answered  Ben  Zoof,  quickly. 
Rosette  unclosed  his  eyes  and  fixed  them  full  upon  the 
orderly's  face. 

"  Are  you  Joseph  ? "  he  asked. 

"  At  your  service,  sir,"  replied  Ben  Zoof  with  imper- 
turbable gravity. 

"  Then  get  me  my  coffee,  and  be  quick  about  it." 
Ben  Zoof  left  to  go  into  the  kitchen,  and   Servadac 
approached  the  professor  in  order  to  assist  him  in  rising  to 
a  sitting  posture. 

**Do  you  recognize  your  quondam  pupil,  professor?** 
he  asked. 

"Ah,  yes,  yes;  you  are  Servadac,"  replied  Rosette. 
"  It  is  twelve  years  or  more  since  I  saw  you  ;  I  hope  you 
have  improved." 


208  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

"Quite  a  reformed  character,  sir,  I  assure  you,"  said 
Servadac,  smiling. 

"Well,  that's  as  it  should  be;  that's  right,"  said  the 
astronomer  with  fussy  importance.  "  But  let  me  have  my 
coffee,"  he  added  impatiently ;  "  I  cannot  collect  my 
thoughts  without  my  coffee." 

Fortunately,  Ben  Zoof  appeared  with  a  great  cup,  hot 
and  strong.  After  draining  it  with  much  apparent  relish, 
the  professor  got  out  of  bed,  walked  into  the  common  hall, 
round  which  he  glanced  with  a  pre-occupied  air,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  seat  himself  in  an  armchair,  the  most  comfort- 
able which  the  cabin  of  the  Dobry7ia  had  supplied.  Then, 
in  a  voice  full  of  satisfaction,  and  that  involuntarily 
recalled  the  exclamations  of  delight  that  had  wound  up 
the  two  first  of  the  mysterious  documents  that  had  been 
received,  he  burst  out : 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  what  do  you  think  of  Gallia  } " 

There  was  no  time  for  any  one  to  make  a  reply  before 
Isaac  Hakkabut  had  darted  forward. 

"  By  the  God " 

"  Who  is  that  ?  "  asked  the  startled  professor  ;  and  he 
frowned,  and  made  a  gesture  of  repugnance. 

Regardless  of  the  efforts  that  were  made  to  silence 
him,  the  Jew  continued  : 

"  By  the  God  of  Abraham,  I  beseech  you,  give  me 
some  tidings  of  Europe  !  " 

"  Europe .-' "  shouted  the  professor,  springing  from  his 
seat  as  if  he  were  electrified  ;  "  what  does  the  man  want 
with  Europe  ? " 

"  I  want  to  get  there  ! "  screeched  the  Jew ;  and  in 
spite  of  every  exertion  to  get  him  away,  he  clung  most 
tenaciously  to  the  professor's  chair,  and  again  and  again 
implored  for  news  of  Europe. 

Rosette  made  no  immediate  reply.  After  a  moment 
or  two's  reflection,  he  turned  to  Servadac  and  asked  him 
whether  it  was  not  the  middle  of  April. 

"It  is  the  twentieth,"  answered  the  captain. 

"  Then  to-day,"  said  the  astronomer,  speaking  with  the 


A  REVELATION.  209 


greatest  deliberation — "to-day  we  are  just  three  mllliong 
of  leagues  away  from  Europe. 

The  Jew  was  utterly  crestfallen. 

"You  seem  here,"  continued  the  professor,  "  to  be  very 
ignorant  of  the  state  of  things." 

"  How  far  we  are  ignorant,"  rejoined  Servadac,  "  I  can- 
not tell.  But  I  will  tell  you  all  that  we  do  know,  and  all 
that  we  have  surmised," 

And  as  briefly  as  he  could,  he  related  all  that  had 
happened  since  the  memorable  night  of  the  thirty-first  of 
December ;  how  they  had  experienced  the  shock ;  how 
the  Dobiyna  had  made  her  voyage ;  how  they  had  dis- 
covered nothing  except  the  fragments  of  the  old  continent 
at  Tunis,  Sardinia,  Gibraltar,  and  now  at  Formentera;  how 
at  intervals  the  three  anonymous  documents  had  been 
received  ;  and,  finally,  how  the  settlement  at  Gourbi  Island 
had  been  abandoned  for  their  present  quarters  at  Nina's 
Hive. 

The  astronomer  had  hardly  patience  to  hear  him  to 
the  end. 

"And  what  do  you  say  is  your  surmise  as  to  your 
present  position  .?"  he  asked. 

"Our  supposition,"  the  captain  replied,  "is  this.  We 
imagine  that  we  are  on  a  considerable  fragment  of  the 
terrestrial  globe  that  has  been  detached  by  collision  with  a 
planet  to  which  you  appear  to  have  given  the  name  of 
Gallia." 

"  Better  than  that ! "  cried  Rosette,  starting  to  his  feet 
with  excitement. 

"  How .''  Why }  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  cried  the  voices 
of  the  listeners. 

"You  are  correct  to  a  certain  degree,"  continued  the 
professor.  "It  is  quite  true  that  at  47'  o5."6  after  two 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  first  of  January  there  was 
a  collision  ;  my  comet  grazed  the  earth ;  and  the  bits 
of  the  earth  which  you  have  named  were  carried  clean 
away." 

They  were  all  fairly  bewildered. 


2IO 


HECTOR  SERVADAC 


**  Where,  then,"   cried   Servadac   eagerly, "  where    afV 

we?" 

"You  are  on  my  comet,  on  Gallia  itself! " 

And  the  professor  gazed  around  him  with  a  perfect  air 

of  triunu>h. 


J 


CHAPTER  IIL 

COMETS,  OLD  AND   NEW. 

As  if  moved  by  some  unconscious  presentiment  of  his 
future  destiny,  Professor  Palmyrin  Rosette  had  always 
evidenced  a  strong  predilection  for  the  study  of  comets. 
He  had  based  his  opinions  on  the  best  authorities,  and  was 
never  more  in  his  element  than  when  he  was  expatiating 
on  his  favourite  theme  as  he  presided  at  some  astronomical 
conference. 

"  Comets,  gentlemen,"  he  would  say,  "  are  nebulous 
bodies  which  occasionally  appear  in  the  heavens,  consisting 
ordinarily  of  a  bright  central  light  called  the  nucleus^  and 
in  the  more  conspicuous  cases  accompanied  by  a  long  trail 
of  light  called  tlie  tail.  Owing  to  the  great  eccentricity  of 
their  orbits,  they  are  visible  to  the  earth  during  only  a 
portion  of  their  course." 

The  professor  never  failed  to  point  out  the  two  charac- 
teristics by  which  they  were  to  be  distinguished  from  other 
heavenly  bodies : 

"Although  these  comets,  gentlemen,  may  be  deficient 
either  with  respect  to  the  luminous  tail  or  to  the  nebulous 
coma,  the  pt'ogressive  motion  with  which  they  are  endued 
prevents  th<im  from  ever  being  mistaken  for  fixed  stars, 
while  the  extreme  length  of  the  ellipses  which  they 
describe  makes  it  impossible  to  confound  them  with 
planets," 

During  the  long  years  of  the  astronomer's  application 
to  his  fas';inating  study,  he  had  comoosed  an  elaborate 


212  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


treatise,  exhibiting'  the  results  of  all  his  investig^ations,  and 
when,  after  the  sudden  convulsion,  he  found  himself 
actually  upon  the  surface  of  one  of  the  very  bodies  the 
properties  of  which  had  engrossed  so  much  of  his  interest, 
it  was  necessarily  a  disappointment  to  feel  that,  alone  upon 
Formentera,  he  had  no  audience  to  whom  he  could  address 
himself. 

The  treatise  which  Rosette  had  compiled  had  been 
arranged  under  four  distinct  heads  : 

1.  The  number  of  comets. 

2.  Periodic  and  non-periodic  comets. 

3.  The  probability  of  collision  between  a  comet  and 
the  earth. 

4.  The  consequences  of  such  a  collision. 

First  :  with  respect  to  the  number  of  comets,  the 
professor  had  recorded  that,  according  to  Arago,  who 
grounded  his  estimate  on  the  number  that  revolve  between 
Mercury  and  the  sun,  there  are  at  least  17,000,000  of  these 
luminous  bodies  in  our  solar  system ;  whilst  Lambert  asserts 
that  within  the  orbit  of  Saturn,  that  is,  within  a  radius  of 
872,135,000  miles,  there  are  no  less  then  500,000,000. 
According  to  Kepler,  two  hundred  years  previously,  the 
number  of  comets  can  only  be  compared  to  the  fishes  in 
the  sea,  and  in  following  out  his  simile  he  declares  that  an 
angler  throwing  out  his  line  from  the  surface  of  the  sun 
could  not  fail  to  touch  several  of  them  ;  and  now  in  recent 
times  a  computation  has  been  made  that  their  aggregate 
reaches  a  total  of  74,000,000,000  distinct  comets.  The 
truth  seems  to  be  that  their  number  really  sets  all  calcula- 
tion at  defiance  ;  so  erratic,  moreover,  are  their  movements, 
that  they  sometimes  pass  from  system  to  system,  and 
whilst  some,  entirely  escaping  the  influence  of  the  sun, 
vanish,  to  find  a  new  centre  of  attraction,  others  never  be- 
fore observed  make  their  appearance  upon  the  terrestrial 
horizon. 

Even  the  comets  which  belong  exclusively  to  our  own 
system  are  by  no  means  exempt  from  strange  irregularities; 
the  orbits  of  several,  ceasing  to  be  ellipses,  have  become 


COMETS,  OLD  AND   NEW.  21 3 

parabolas  or  hyperbolas  ;  and  the  planets,  Jupiter  in  parti- 
cular, have  been  observed  to  exercise  a  large  disturbing 
action  upon  their  paths. 

Secondly  :  under  the  head  of  periodic  and  non-periodic 
comets,  Professor  Rosette  had  stated  that  as  many  as  500 
or  600  comets  have  been  made  objects  of  careful  astronomi- 
cal investigation  ;  those  being  called  "  periodic "  of  which 
the  return  at  fixed  intervals  has  been  established  as  a 
certainty ;  those,  on  the  other  hand,  being  classed  as  "non- 
periodic  "  which  recede  to  such  immeasurable  distances 
from  the  sun  that  it  cannot  be  determined  whether  they 
will  return  or  not 

Of  the  periodic  comets  there  are  not  more  than  forfjf 
of  which  the  times  of  their  revokition  have  been  ascertained 
with  exact  precision  ;  but  of  these  there  are  ten,  generally 
known  as  the  "short-period  comets,"  the  movements  of 
which  have  been  established  with  the  nicest  accuracy. 

The  short-period  comets  are  respectively  called  by  the 
names  of  their  discoverers,  and  are  comonly  distinguished 
as  Halley's  comet,  Enckes,  Gambart's  or  Biela's,  Faye's, 
Broiscn's,  D'Arrest's,  Tattle's,  Winnecke's,  De  Vico's,  and 
Tempel's. 

Subjoined  is  a  brief  account  of  each  of  these  in  detail. 

Halley's  comet  is  that  which  has  been  the  longest 
known.  It  is  supposed  to  be  identical  with  the  one  which 
was  observed  in  the  years  134  and  52  B.C.,  and  afterwards 
in  the  years  400,  855,  930,  1006,  1230,  1305,  1380,  1456, 
1 531,  1607,  16S2,  1759,  and  1835  A.D.  It  revolves  from 
east  to  west,  in  a  direction  contrary  to  the  planets.  The 
intervals  between  its  consecutive  appearances  vary  from  75 
to  y6  years,  according  as  its  course  is  less  or  more  dis- 
turbed by  the  attraction  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn,  which 
sometimes  influence  its  course  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
make  a  difference  of  200  days  in  the  period  of  its  arrival. 
The  last  appearance  of  this  comet  was  in  1S35,  when  Sir 
John  Herschel,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  a  more  favour- 
able station  for  observation  than  any  in  the  northern 
hemisphere,  was  able  to  watch  it  until  the  end  of  March 


214  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

1836,  after  which  its  distance  from  the  earth  rendered  it 
invisible.  At  its  aphelion  it  is  3,200,000,000  miles  from 
the  sun,  that  is  to  say,  it  is  beyond  the  orbit  of  Neptune, 
but  at  its  perihelion  it  is  less  than  57,000,000  miles  from 
the  sun,  and  consequently  is  nearer  than  the  planet  Venus. 

Little  did  the  professor  dream,  at  the  time  when  he 
drew  up  his  treatise,  that  his  own  Gallia  would  transport 
him  to  a  still  closer  proximity  to  the  great  luminary. 

Encke's  comet  has  the  shortest  period  of  any,  its 
revolution  being  accomplished  in  about  1205  days,  or  less 
than  three  years  and  a  half.  Unlike  Halley's,  it  moves 
as  the  planets,  from  west  to  east.  It  was  observed  on  the 
26th  of  November,  18 18,  and  a  calculation  of  its  elements 
proved  it  to  be  identical  with  the  comet  of  1805.  Accord- 
ing to  prediction,  it  was  seen  again  in  1822,  and  since  that 
time  has  never  failed  in  making  its  appearance  at  regular 
intervals.  Its  orbit  lies  within  that  of  Jupiter,  and  it  never 
recedes  more  than  387,000,000  miles  from  the  sun,  its 
perihelion  distance  being  only  32,000,000  miles,  or  less 
than  that  of  Mercury. 

One  important  observation  that  has  been  made  with 
regard  to  Encke's  comet,  places  it  beyond  doubt  that  the 
axis  major  of  its  elliptical  orbit  is  gradually  diminishing, 
and  consequently  its  average  distance  from  the  sun  is 
growing  continuously  less  and  less,  so  that  the  probability 
arises  that  unless  it  is  previously  volatilized  by  the  solar 
heat,  it  may  be  ultimately  absorbed  in  the  sun  itself. 

Gambart's  comet  (otherwise  known  as  Biela's)  was 
noticed  in  1772,  1789,  1795,  and  1805  ;  but  it  was  not 
until  the  28th  of  February,  1826,  that  its  elements  were 
satisfactorily  determined.  Its  motion  is  direct,  and  its 
period  of  revolution  2410  days,  or  about  seven  years.  At 
perihelion  it  passes  82,000,000  miles  from  the  sun,  rather 
nearer  than  the  earth ;  at  aphelion  it  is  beyond  the  orbit 
of  Jupiter. 

A  singular  phenomenon  with  regard  to  Biela's  comet 
was  first  observed  in  the  year  1846:  it  appeared  like  a 
double  star,  in  two  distinct  fragments,  do"btless  sundered 


COMETS,   OLD  AND   NEW.  21$ 

by  the  action  of  some  internal  force  ;  these  fragments 
travelled  together  at  an  interval  of  about  160,000  miles 
apart,  but  at  the  next  appearance  in  1852  this  interval  was 
found  to  be  largely  increased. 

Faye's  comet  was  discovered  by  him  for  the  first  time 
on  the  22nd  of  November,  1843.  The  elements  of  its 
orbit  were  calculated,  and  it  was  predicted  that  it  would 
return  again  in  1851,  after  a  period  of  2718  days,  or  in 
about  seven  years  and  a  half.  The  prediction  was  realized ; 
the  comet  was  visible  at  the  time  announced,  and  has 
subsequently  appeared  at  similar  intervals.  Its  motion  is 
direct  At  perihelion  it  is  192,000,000  miles  from  the  sun, 
never  approaching  so  near  as  Mars  ;  at  aphelion  it  is 
distant  603,000,000  miles,  so  that  it  recedes,  like  Biela's 
comet,  beyond  the  pathway  of  Jupiter. 

Brorsen's  comet  was  discovered  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1846.  Its  movement  is  from  west  to  east ;  it  accomplishes 
its  revolution  in  about  2042  days  ;  its  perihelion  distance 
is  64,000,000  miles,  its  aphelion  537,000,000  miles. 

Of  the  other  short-period  comets,  D'Arrest's,  which  in 
1862  passed  within  30,000,000  miles  of  the  planet  Jupiter, 
completes  its  revolution  in  rather  more  than  six  years  and 
a  half ;  Tuttle's  revolves  in  thirteen  years  and  eight 
months ;  Winnecke's  and  Temple's  in  about  five  years  and 
a  half;  whilst  that  of  De  Vico,  after  being  computed  to 
revolve  in  a  period  of  rather  more  than  five  years,  seems 
to  have  wandered  away  altogether  into  space. 

Then  follows  a  short  enumeration  of  some  of  the  "  long- 
period"  comets. 

The  comet  of  1556,  commonly  called  the  comet  of 
Charles-Quint,  was  expected  again  in  i860,  but  did  not 
re-appear. 

The  comet  of  1680  furnished  the  data  for  Newton  s 
cometary  theories,  and,  according  to  Whiston,  was  the  cause 
of  the  deluge,  on  account  of  its  close  approximation  to  the 
earth.  Its  revolution  takes  about  575  years,  so  that  it  was 
visible  in  I106  and  531,  as  well  as  in  43  B.C.  and  probably 
in  619  B.C     At  its  perihelion  it  passes  so  near  the  sun  tliat 


2l6  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

it  receives  28,000  times  more  heat  than  the  earth,  that 
is,  it  is  2000  times  hotter  than  molten  iron. 

The  comet  of  1744  was  by  far  the  most  brilliant  of  the 
eighteenth  century  ;  it  was  seen  on  the  ist  of  March  in 
full  daylight,  and  had  six  tails,  spread  out  like  a  fan  across 
a  large  space  in  the  heavens. 

The  great  comet  of  181 1,  which  has  caused  the  year  of 
its  appearance  to  be  familiarly  recognised  as  "  the  comet- 
year,"  had  a  nucleus  2637  miles  in  diameter;  its  head 
was  1,270,000  miles  in  diameter,  and  its  tail  100,000,000 
miles  in  length. 

The  comet  of  1843,  observed  by  Cassini,  has  been  sup 
posed  to  be  identical  with  that  of  1668,  1494,  and  1317, 
but  astronomers  are  not  agreed  upon  the  period  of  its 
revolution.  At  its  perihelion  it  passes  nearer  to  the  sun 
than  any  other  comet  recorded  in  history,  travelling  at  a 
rate  of  more  than  40,000  miles  a  second.  The  heat  that  it 
thus  receives  is  equal  to  that  which  47,000  suns  would 
communicate  to  the  earth,  and  to  such  a  degree  does  this 
prodigious  temperature  increase  its  density,  that  at  its  last 
appearance  its  tail  was  visible  in  broad  daylight. 

Donati's  comet,  which  in  1858  shone  with  such  brilliancy 
amongst  the  northern  constellations,  has  a  mass  that  has 
been  estimated  at  '07  of  that  of  the  earth. 

The  comet  of  1862  was  adorned  with  luminous  tufts 
or  aigrettes,  and  resembled  some  fantastic  mollusk. 

The  list  is  completed  by  the  comet  of  1868,  the  revolu- 
tion of  which  occupies  a  period  of  no  less  than  2800 
centuries,  so  that  it  may  practically  be  considered  as 
having  vanished  in  infinite  space. 

Thirdly  :  the  next  section  of  the  professor's  dissertation 
was  devoted  to  the  probability  of  a  collision  between  any 
one  of  these  numerous  comets  and  the  earth. 

As  represented  in  plane  diagrams,  the  orbits  of  plane- 
tary and  cometary  bodies  appear  continually  to  be  inter- 
secting one  another  J  but  in  free  space  o:  three  dimensions 
tills  is  by  no  means  necessarily  the  case ;  the  planes  of  the 
orbits  being  inclined  at  various  angles  to  the  ecliptic,  which 


COMETS,   OLD  AND   NEW.  2iy 


Is  the  plane  of  the  terrestrial  orbit.  Nevertheless,  out  of  the 
large  number  of  comets,  is  it  impossible  that  one  of  them 
should  come  in  contact  with  the  earth  ? 

In  conducting  this  investigation,  it  had  to  be  recollected 
that  as  the  earth  never  leaves  the  plane  of  the  ecliptic, 
three  conditions  must  be  fulfilled  in  order  to  bring  about 
the  result  of  impact :  first,  the  comet  must  meet  the  earth 
in  the  ecliptic  ;  secondly,  the  earth  and  the  comet  must 
arrive  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  their  orbits  at  the 
same  moment;  and  thirdly,  the  distance  between  the 
centres  of  the  bodies  themselves  must  be  less  than  the  sum 
of  their  radii.  The  problem,  therefore,  resolved  itself  into 
an  inquiry  whether  these  three  conditions  could  occur 
simultaneously. 

Laplace  did  not  reject  the  possibility  of  such  an  en- 
counter, and  in  his  "  Exposition  du  Systeme  du  Monde " 
has  at- some  length  detailed  the  consequences.  Arago, 
when  asked  his  opinion  on  the  subject,  replied  that  by 
calculation  there  were  280,000,000  chances  to  i  against 
a  collision.  The  illustrious  astronomer,  however,  based  his 
estimate  upon  two  conditions  that  are  only  fulfilled  with 
the  greatest  uncertainty;  in  the  first  place,  that  at  peri- 
helion the  comet  should  be  nearer  the  sun  than  the  earth 
is  ;  and  in  the  next,  that  the  diameter  of  the  comet  should 
be  equal  to  one-fourth  of  that  of  the  earth.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  only  reckoned  for  the  earth  coming  in  contact 
with  the  actual  nucleus,  whilst  if  the  whole  extent  of  the 
nebulosity  were  to  be  taken  into  account,  the  chances  of 
collision  would  be  increased  tenfold. 

In  enunciating  his  problem,  Arago  adds  : 

"  If  we  take  it  for  granted  that  the  result  of  a  comet 
running  foul  of  the  earth  would  be  the  total  annihilation  of 
the  human  race,  then  the  risk  of  death  which  each  in- 
dividual incurs  from  the  probability  of  such  a  catastrophe 
is  just  what  would  be  his  chance  of  drawing,  at  the  first 
draw,  the  only  white  ball  out  of  an  urn  containing 
280,000,000  coloured  ones."  So  remote  appear  the  chance?- 
■of  collision. 


2l8  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

All  astronomers,  moreover,  concur  in  distinctly  denying 
that  any  such  collision  has  ever  happened  Arago  asserts 
that  if  it  had  happened,  the  consequences  would  have  been 
an  immediate  alteration  in  the  earth  s  axis  of  rotation, 
and  a  general  disturbance  of  terrestrial  latitudes  ;  but  hr 
alleges  no  evidence  in  proof  of  his  assertion.  He  speaks, 
however,  much  more  to  the  purpose  when  he  declares  that 
"the  theory  held  by  some,  that  the  depression  of  the 
Caspian  Sea  300  feet  below  the  level  of  the  ocean  is  to  be 
attributed  to  the  shock  of  a  comet,  is  utterly  untenable." 

But  the  matter  under  consideration  was  not  whether 
collision  had  ever  occurred,  but  whether  it  ever  could 
occur. 

Now  in  1832,  at  the  re-appearance  of  Gambart's  comet, 
the  world  was  thrown  Into  some  alarm  because  it  was 
announced  as  the  result  of  astronomical  calculations,  that 
at  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  comet  through  its  de- 
scending node  on  the  29th  of  October,  the  earth  would  be 
travelling  precisely  in  the  same  region.  Contact  seemed 
not  only  probable  but  inevitable,  if  Olbers'  observation  was 
correct,  that  the  radius  of  the  comet  was  five  times  as  large 
as  that  of  the  earth.  Happily,  however,  the  earth  did  not 
arrive  at  that  point  of  the  ecliptic  until  the  30th  of 
November,  by  which  time  the  comet  was  more  than 
50,CKX),ooo  miles  away.  But  supposing  that  the  earth  had 
reached  that  place  of  intersection  of  the  two  orbits  a 
month  sooner,  or  the  comet  a  month  later,  it  is  hard  to 
say  what  could  have  obviated  the  likelihood  of  collision. 
At  the  very  least,  some  singular  perturbations  must  have 
ensued.  In  1805  Indeed,  this  identical  comet  had  passed 
within  6,000,000  miles  of  the  earth,  ten  times  closer  than 
in  1832,  but  as  its  proximity  was  unknown,  the  fact  did 
not  excite  any  panic. 

Again  in  1843  there  seemed  reasonable  ground  for  fear 
that  the  atmosphere  of  the  earth  would  be  vitiated  by 
passing  through  the  nebulous  tail  of  a  comet  150,000,000 
miles  in  length. 

Altogether,  therefore,  from  the  entire  evidence,  it  ap. 


COMETS,  OLD  AND   NEW.  219 

peared   a   necessary  inference   that  collision  between  the 
earth  and  a  comet  was  by  no  means  impossible. 

Fourthly,  then,  Professor  Rosette  had  to  discuss  the 
remaining  question  to  bring  his  treatise  to  a  close ;  as  to 
the  probable  consequences  of  such  a  collision. 

These  consequences  would  manifestly  vary  according 
as  the  comet  had  or  had  not  a  nucleus.  As  some  fruits 
have  no  kernel,  so  some  comets  have  no  nucleus,  and  such 
is  the  tenuity  of  their  substance,  that  stars  of  the  tenth 
magnitude  have  been  seen  through  them  without  any 
sensible  diminution  of  light.  It  is  a  property  that  must 
make  their  external  form  very  susceptible  of  change,  and 
tends  in  a  degree  to  make  them  difiicult  of  recognition. 
The  same  transparency  characterises  the  tail,  the  develop- 
ment of  which  is  apparently  due  entirely  to  the  evapora- 
tion of  the  coma  under  the  action  of  solar  heat ;  in  proof 
of  which  it  is  notified  that  no  tail,  either  single  or  multiple, 
has  ever  been  found  attached  to  a  comet  until  that  comet 
has  arrived  within  80,000,000  miles  of  the  sun ;  whilst  it 
has  been  observed  that  some  comets,  presumably  com- 
posed of  denser  structure,  have  emitted  no  tail  at  all. 

In  tlie  case  of  the  earth  coming  into  contact  with  a 
comet  destitute  of  a  nucleus,  there  would  be  no  violent 
collision  ;  strictly  speaking,  there  would  be  no  shock  at 
all.  The  astronomer  Faye  asserts  that  a  cannon  ball 
would  find  more  resistance  in  a  cobweb  than  in  the 
nebulous  parts  of  a  comet ;  and  for  the  nebulous  matter  to 
be  injurious,  it  must  either  be  incandescent,  in  which  case 
it  would  scorch  up  the  surface  of  the  earth,  or  it  must  be 
impregnated  with  noxious  elements,  in  which  case  it  might 
be  fatally  destructive  to  life.  This  latter  contingency, 
however,  is  unlikely  to  arise ;  for,  according  to  Babinet, . 
the  earth's  atmosphere  possesses  sufficient  density  of  its 
own  to  resist  the  penetration  of  any  cometar>'  vapours,  of 
which  the  tenuity  is  so  slight,  that  Newton  has  calculated 
that  if  a  comet,  without  a  nucleus,  1,000,000,000  miles  in 
radius,  were  reduced  to  the  density  of  the  air  at  the  earth's 
surface,  it  might  all  be  contained  in  a  thimble  less  than  an 
inch  in  diameter. 


220  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


Concluding-  thus  that  from  comets  purely  nebulous 
there  was  a  minimum  of  danger  to  be  apprehended,  the 
professor  proceeded  to  inquire  what  would  be  the  result  of 
concussion  if  tlie  comet  consisted  of  a  solid  nucleus. 

First  of  all,  however,  rises  the  preliminary  question 
whether  in  any  case  the  nucleus  of  a  comet  is  really  solid, 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  if  a  comet  can  attain  a  degree 
of  concentration  sufficient  to  pass  out  of  its  gaseous  con- 
dition, it  will,  if  interposed  between  the  earth  and  a  star, 
make  an  occupation  of  that  star.  No  sound  reliance  is  to 
be  placed  on  testimony  such  as  that  of  Anaxagoras,  who, 
living  in  the  time  of  Xerxes,  about  the  year  4S0  B.C., 
recorded  that  the  sun  was  eclipsed  by  a  comet ;  nor  on  that 
of  Dion,  who  maintains  that  a  similar  eclipse  occurred  a 
few  days  before  the  death  of  Augustus,  which  could  not  be 
occasioned  by  the  moon,  then  in  direct  opposition.  Modern 
science  has,  with  more  than  sufficient  justice,  entirely 
repudiated  the  accuracy  of  these  statements ;  but  the  in- 
disputable testimony  of  recent  observation  all  goes  to 
establish  the  certainty  of  the  existence  of  comets  with  a 
solid  nucleus.  The  comets  of  1774  and  of  1828  are  known 
to  have  caused  the  occupation  of  stars  of  the  eighth  mag- 
nitude ;  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands  that  the  comets  of 
1402,  1532,  and  1744  were  solid  masses  ;  whilst,  as  for  the 
comet  of  1843,  the  fact  is  patent  to  the  world  that  the 
body  could  be  seen  close  to  the  sun,  in  broad  daylight,  by 
the  naked  eye. 

Not  only,  therefore,  do  they  exist,  but  in  some  cases 
these  solid  nuclei  have  been  actually  measured.  Their 
diameters  vary  considerably  in  length  ;  that  of  Gambart's 
comet  being  only  30  or  40  miles,  that  of  the  comet  of  1845 
being  8800  miles,  considerably  longer  than  the  diameter  of 
the  earth,  so  that  in  the  event  of  a  collision  between  the 
two  bodies,  the  preponderance  would  have  been  on  the 
side  of  the  comet.  The  nebulous  surroundin;4"s  have  also, 
in  a  variety  of  instances,  been  measured,  and  found  to  vary 
from  200,000  to  T, 000,000  miles  in  diameter. 

Upon  the  whole,  modem  investigation  bears  out  the 


COMETS,  OLD  AND   NEW.  22) 

general  statement  of  M.  Arago  that  there  are  three  kind? 
of  comets ;  that  is  to  say,  comets  without  any  nucleus  . 
comets  with  a  transparent  nucleus ;  and  comets  with  a 
nucleus  both  solid  and  opaque. 

It  had  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  without  any  actual 
shock  by  collision,  the  mere  proximity  of  a  comet  to  the 
earth  might  entail  some  very  singular  phenomena.  Not 
that  from  a  comet  of  inferior  mass  any  serious  conse- 
quences could  be  expected,  for  the  comet  of  1770,  which  ap- 
proached within  1,600,000  miles  of  the  earth,  did  not  affect 
the  length  of  the  terrestrial  year  a  single  second,  although 
the  action  of  the  earth  retarded  the  period  of  the  comet's 
revolution  by  three  whole  days.  But  if  the  mass  of  the  two 
bodies  were  equal,  and  if  the  comet  passed  within  150,000 
miles  of  the  earth,  the  result  would  be  that  the  terrestrial 
year  would  be  prolonged  by  sixteen  hours  and  five 
minutes,  and  the  obliquity  of  the  ecliptic  altered  by  two 
degrees,  to  say  nothing  of  the  chance  that  the  comet 
might  capture  the  moon  in  its  passage. 

What,  finally,  would  happen  in  the  event  of  the  one 
body  actually  impinging  on  the  other  ?  The  consequences, 
manifestly,  would  be  far  more  considerable.  Either  the 
comet,  in  grazing  the  earth's  surface,  would  leave  behind 
it  a  fragment  detached  from  itself,  or  it  would  carry  off 
with  itself  a  fragment  detached  from  the  earth.  If,  instead 
of  being  oblique,  the  impact  should  be  direct,  there  would 
at  least  be  a  rupture  of  continents,  even  if  the  globe  were 
not  shivered  into  pieces. 

In  any  case,  the  tangential  velocity  of  the  earth  must 
receive  a  sudden  check  or  a  sudden  impulse  ;  trees,  houses, 
living  creatures,  would  be  precipitated  backwards  or  for- 
wards with  increased  momentum  ;  the  seas,  dashed  from 
their  natural  basins,  would  overwhelm  all  that  lay  in  the 
path  of  their  projection  ;  the  central  forces  of  the  globe, 
still  in  their  normal  state  of  fusion,  would  be  propelled  to 
'  the  surface  ;  the  terrestrial  axis  would  undergo  a  change 
in  its  direction,  so  that  a  new  equator  would  be  estab- 
lished, and    as   the   conditions   of  equilibrium  would    be 


222  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


disturbed,  there  might  be  nothing  properly  to  counter- 
balance the  attraction  of  the  sun,  the  consequence  of 
which,  by  the  law  of  gravity,  would  be  that  the  earth, 
drawn  perpetually  on  in  a  straight  line,  in  the  space  of 
sixty-four  days  and  a  half  would  be  absorbed  into  the 
elements  of  the  great  central  luminary  of  the  system. 

One  speculation  there  was  which  to  the  last  remained 
doubtful  ;  whether,  according  to  Tyndall's  theory  that 
heat  is  only  a  form  of  motion,  the  velocity  of  the  earth 
would  not,  under  the  sudden  elevation  of  the  temperature, 
mechanically  transform  itself  into  heat  so  intense,  that 
through  its  action,  the  earth  itself,  in  the  course  of  a  few 

seconds,  would  be  completely  volatilized. 

Such    were    the    deductions    of    Palmyrin    Rosette's 

treatise,  which  he  brought  to  a  conclusion  by  a  repetition 

of  the  philosopher's  comforting  assurance,  that  the  chances 

were  as  280,000,000  to  i  against  the  occurrence  of  any 

collision. 

How  little   could  the   professor,   as  he  tabulated  his 

scientific  notes,  anticipate  his  experiences  in  the  future, 

with  regard  to  his  own  Gallia ! 

How  little  could  he  foresee,  that  at  some  future  stance, 

he  would  be  in  the  position  to  say  : 

"You  see,  gentlemen,  that  we  have  drawn  the  one 

white  ball  from  the  urni" 


CHAPTER  nr. 

THE  professor's  EXPERIENCES. 

**  Yes,  my  comet !  "  repeated  the  professor,  and  from  time 
to  time  he  knitted  his  brows,  and  looked  around  him  with 
a  defiant  air,  as  though  he  could  not  get  rid  of  the  im- 
pression that  some  one  was  laying  an  unwarranted  claim 
to  its  proprietorship,  or  that  the  individuals  before  him 
were  intruders  upon  his  own  proper  domain. 

But  for  a  considerable  while,  Servadac,  the  count,  and 
the  lieutenant  remained  silent  and  sunk  in  thought  Here 
then,  at  last,  was  the  unriddling  of  the  enigma  they  had 
been  so  long  endeavouring  to  solve  ;  both  the  hypotheses 
they  had  formed  in  succession  had  now  to  give  way  before 
the  announcement  of  the  real  truth.  The  first  supposition, 
that  the  rotatory  axis  of  the  earth  had  been  subject  to 
some  accidental  modification,  and  the  conjecture  that 
replaced  it,  namely,  that  a  certain  portion  of  the  terrestrial 
sphere  had  been  splintered  off  and  carried  into  space,  had 
both  now  to  yield  to  the  representation  that  the  earth  had 
been  grazed  by  an  unknown  comet,  which  had  caught  up 
some  scattered  fragments  from  its  surface,  and  was  bearing 
them  far  away  into  sidereal  regions.  Unfolded  lay  the 
past  and  the  present  before  them  ;  but  this  only  served  to 
awaken  a  keener  interest  about  the  future.  Could  the 
professor  throw  any  light  upon  that  ?  they  longed  to 
inquire,  but  did  not  yet  venture  to  ask  him. 

Meanwhile  Rosette  assumed   a  pompous  professional 


224  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

air,  and  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  the  entire  party  to  be 
ceremoniously  introduced  to  him.  Nothing  unwilling  to 
humour  the  vanity  of  the  eccentric  little  man,  Servadac 
proceeded  to  go  through  the  expected  formalities. 

"  Allow  me  to  present  to  you  my  excellent  friend,  the 
Count  Timascheff,"  he  said. 

"  You  are  very  welcome,"  said  Rosette,  bowing  to  the 
count  with  a  smile  of  condescension. 

"  Although  I  am  not  precisely  a  voluntary  resident  on 
your  comet,  Mr.  Professor,  I  beg  to  acknowledge  your 
courteous  reception,"  gravely  responded  Timascheff. 

Servadac  could  not  quite  conceal  his  amusement  at 
the  count's  irony,  but  continued  : 

"  This  is  Lieutenant  Procope,  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  Dobryna^ 

The  professor  bowed  again  in  frigid  dignity. 

"  His  yacht  has  conveyed  us  right  round  Gallia,"  added 
the  captain. 

"  Round  Gallia  ? "  eagerly  exclaimed  the  professor. 

"  Yes,  entirely  round  it,"  answered  Servadac,  and  with- 
out allowing  time  for  reply,  proceeded  : 

"  And  this  is  my  orderly,  Ben  Zoof." 

"  Aide-de-camp  to  his  Excellency  the  Governour  oi 
Gallia,"  interposed  Ben  Zoof  himself,  anxious  to  main- 
tain his  master's  honour  as  well  as  his  own. 

Rosette  scarcely  bent  his  head. 

The  rest  of  the  population  of  the  Hive  were  all  pre- 
sented in  succession  :  the  Russian  sailors,  the  Spaniards, 
young  Pablo,  and  little  Nina,  on  whom  the  professor, 
evidently  no  lover  of  children,  glared  fiercely  through  his 
formidable  spectacles.  Isaac  Hakkabut,  after  his  intro 
duction,  begged  to  be  allowed  to  ask  one  question. 

"  How  soon  may  we  hope  to  get  back  ? "  he  inquired, 
imploringly. 

"  Get  back !  "  rejoined  Rosette,  sharply  ;  "  who  talks  o{ 
getting  back?     We  have  hardly  started  yet." 

Seeing  that  the  professor  was  inclined  to  get  angry, 
Captain  Servadac  adroitly  gave  a  new  turn   to  the  con 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  EXPERIENCES.  225 

versation  by  asking  him  whether  he  would  gratify  them 
by  relating  his  own  recent  experiences.  The  astronomer 
seemed  pleased  with  the  proposal,  and  at  once  commenced 
a  verbose  and  somewhat  circumlocutory  address,  of  which 
the  following  summary  presents  the  main  features. 

The  French  Government,  being  desirous  of  verifying 
the  measurement  already  made  of  the  arc  of  the  meridian 
of  Paris,  appointed  a  scientific  commission  for  that  pur- 
pose. From  that  commission  the  name  of  Palmyrin 
Rosette  was  omitted,  apparently  for  no  other  reason  than 
his  personal  unpopularity.  Furious  at  the  slight,  the  pro- 
fessor resolved  to  set  to  work  independently  on  his  own 
account,  and  declaring  that  there  were  inaccuracies  in  the 
previous  geodesic  operations,  he  determined  to  re-examine 
the  results  of  the  last  triangulation  which  had  united 
Formentera  to  the  Spanish  coast  by  a  triangle,  one  of 
the  sides  of  which  measured  over  a  hundred  miles,  the 
very  operation  which  had  already  been  so  successfully 
accomplished  by  Arago  and  Biot. 

Accordingly,  leaving  Paris  for  the  Balearic  Isles,  he 
placed  his  observatory  on  the  highest  point  of  Formentera, 
and  accompanied  as  he  was  only  by  his  servant,  Joseph, 
led  the  life  of  a  recluse.  He  secured  the  services  of  a 
former  assistant,  and  despatched  him  to  a  high  peak  on 
the  coast  of  Spain,  where  he  had  to  superintend  a  rever- 
berator, which,  with  the  aid  of  a  glass,  could  be  seen  from 
Formentera.  A  few  books  and  instruments,  and  two 
months'  victuals,  was  all  the  ba<To-a£re  he  tcok  with  him, 
except  an  excellent  astronomical  telescope,  which  was, 
indeed,  almost  part  and  parcel  of  himself,  and  with  which 
he  assiduously  scanned  the  heavens,  in  the  sanguine  antici- 
pation of  making  some  discovery  which  would  immortalize 
his  name. 

The  task  he  had  undertaken  demanded  the  utmost 
patience.  Night  after  night,  in  order  to  fix  the  apex  of 
his  triangle,  he  had  to  linger  on  the  watch  for  the  assist- 
ant's signal-light,  but  he  did  not  forget  that  his  prede- 
cessors, Arago  and  Biot,  had  had  to  wait  sixty-one  days 


226  HECTOR    SERVADAC. 

for  a  similar  purpose.  What  retarded  the  work  was  the 
dense  fog  which,  it  has  been  already  mentioned,  at  that 
time  enveloped  not  only  that  part  of  Europe,  but  almost 
the  entire  world. 

Never  failing  to  turn  to  the  best  advantage  the  few 
intervals  when  the  mist  lifted  a  little,  the  astronomer  would 
at  the  same  time  cast  an  inquiring  glance  at  the  firma- 
ment, as  he  was  greatly  interested  in  the  revision  of  the 
chart  of  the  heavens,  in  the  region  contiguous  to  the  con- 
stellation Gemini. 

To  the  naked  eye  this  constellation  consists  of  only 
six  stars,  but  through  a  telescope  ten  inches  in  diameter, 
as  many  as  six  thousand  are  visible.  Rosette,  however, 
did  not  possess  a  reflector  of  this  magnitude,  and  was 
obliged  to  content  himself  with  the  good  but  compara- 
tively small  instrument  he  had. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  whilst  carefully  gauging  the 
recesses  of  Gemini,  he  espied  a  bright  speck  which  was 
unregistered  in  the  chart,  and  which  at  first  he  took  for 
a  small  star  that  had  escaped  being  entered  in  the  cata- 
logue. But  the  observation  of  a  few  separate  nights  soon 
made  it  manifest  that  the  star  was  rapidly  changing  its 
position  with  regard  to  the  adjacent  stars,  and  the  as- 
tronomer's heart  began  to  leap  at  the  thought  that  the 
renown  of  the  discovery  of  a  new  planet  would  be  associ- 
ated with  his  name. 

Redoubling  his  attention,  he  soon  satisfied  himself  that 
what  he  saw  was  not  a  planet;  the  rapidity  of  its  displace- 
ment rather  forced  him  to  the  conjecture  that  it  must  be 
a  comet,  and  this  opinion  was  soon  strengthened  by  the 
appearance  of  a  coma,  and  subsequently  confirmed,  as 
the  body  approached  the  sun,  by  the  development  of  a 
tail. 

A  comet!  The  discovery  was  fatal  to  all  further 
progress  in  the  triangulation.  However  conscientiously 
the  assistant  on  the  Spanish  coast  might  look  to  the 
kindling  of  the  beacon.  Rosette  had  no  glances  to  spare 
for  that  direction;   he  had   no   eyes  except  for   the  one 


THE  professor's  EXPERIENCES.  22/ 

object  of  his   notice,  no  thoughts   apart   from   that  one 
quarter  of  the  firmament. 

A  comet  I  No  time  must  be  lost  in  calculating  its 
elements. 

Now,  in  order  to  calculate  the  elements  of  a  comet, 
it  is  always  deemed  the  safest  mode  of  procedure  to 
assume  the  orbit  to  be  a  parabola.  Ordinarily,  cometJ 
are  conspicuous  at  their  perihelia,  as  being  their  shortest 
distances  from  the  sun,  which  is  the  focus  of  their  orbit, 
and  inasmuch  as  a  parabola  is  but  an  ellipse  with  its  axis 
indefinitely  produced,  for  some  short  portion  of  its  path- 
way the  orbit  may  be  indifferently  considered  either  one 
or  the  other ;  but  in  this  particular  case  the  professor  was 
right  in  adopting  the  supposition  of  its  being  parabolic 

Just  as  in  a  circle,  it  is  necessary  to  know  three  points 
to  determine  the  circumference ;  so  in  ascertaining  the 
elements  of  a  comet,  three  different  positions  must  be 
observed  before  what  astronomers  call  its  "  ephemeris " 
can  be  established. 

But  Professor  Rosette  did  not  content  himself  with 
three  positions ;  taking  advantage  of  every  rift  in  the  fog 
he  made  ten,  twenty,  thirty  observations  both  in  right 
ascension  and  in  declination,  and  succeeded  in  working 
out  with  the  most  minute  accuracy  the  five  elements  of  the 
comet  which  was  evidently  advancing  with  astounding 
rapidity  towards  the  earth. 

These  elements  were  : 

1.  The  inclination  of  the  plane  of  the  cometary  orbit 
to  the  plane  of  the  ecliptic,  an  angle  which  is  generally 
considerable,  but  in  this  case  the  planes  were  proved  to 
coincide. 

2.  The  position  of  the  ascending  node,  or  the  point 
where  the  comet  crossed  the  terrestrial  orbit. 

These  two  elements  being  obtained,  the  position  io 
space  of  tlie  comet's  orbit  was  determined. 

3.  The  direction  of  the  axis  major  of  the  orbit,  which 
was  found  by  calculating  the  longitude  of  the  comet's 
perihelion 


228  HECTOR  SERVADAa 


4.  The  perihelion  distance  from  the  sun,  which  settled 
the  precise  form  of  the  parabola. 

5.  The  motion  of  the  comet,  as  being  retrograde,  or, 
unlike  the  planets,  from  east  to  west.* 

Rosette  thus  found  himself  able  to  calculate  the  date 
at  which  the  comet  would  reach  its  perihelion,  and,  over- 
joyed at  his  discovery,  without  thinking  of  calling  it 
Palmyra  or  Rosetta,  after  his  own  name,  he  resolved  that 
it  should  be  known  as  Gallia. 

His  next  business  was  to  draw  up  a  formal  report. 
Not  only  did  he  at  once  recognize  that  a  collision  with 
the  earth  was  possible,  but  he  soon  foresaw  that  it  was  in- 
evitable, and  that  it  must  happen  on  the  night  of  the  31st 
of  December  ;  moreover,  as  the  bodies  were  moving  in  op- 
posite directions,  the  shock  could  hardly  fail  to  be  violent. 

To  say  that  he  was  elated  at  the  prospect  was  far 
)elow  the  truth  ;  his  delight  amounted  almost  to  delirium. 
Any  one  else  would  have  hurried  from  the  solitude  of  For- 
mentera  in  sheer  fright ;  but,  without  communicating  a 
word  of  his  startling  discovery,  he  remained  resolutely 
at  his  post.  From  occasional  newspapers  which  he  had 
received,  he  had  learnt  that  fogs,  dense  as  ever,  continued 
to  envelop  both  hemispheres,  so  that  he  was  assured  that 
the  existence  of  the  comet  was  utterly  unknown  else- 
where ;  and  the  ignorance  of  the  world  as  to  the  peril  that 
threatened  it  averted  the  panic  that  would  have  followed 
the  publication  of  the  facts,  and  left  the  philosopher  of 
Formentera  in  sole  possession  of  the  great  secret.  He 
clung  to  his  post  with  the  greater  persistency,  because  his 
calculations  had  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  the  comet 
would  strike  the  earth  somewhere  to  the  south  of  Algeria, 
and  as  it  had  a  solid  nucleus,  he  felt  sure  that,  as  he 
expressed  it,  the  effect  would  be  "unique,"  and  he  was 
anxious  to  be  in  the  vicinity. 

The  shock  came,  and  with  it  the  results  already  re- 
corded.    Palmyrin  Rosette  was  suddenly  separated  from 

•  Of  252  comets,  123  have  a  direct  aiid  129  a  1 J  rograde  moliou. 


The  Solitary  Occupant  of  the  only  Fragment  that  survived  of  the  Balearic 

Archipelago. 


THE  professor's   EXPERIENCES.  229 

his  servant  Joseph,  and  when,  after  a  long  period  of  un- 
consciousness, he  came  to  himself,  he  found  that  he  was 
the  solitary  occupant  of  the  only  fragment  that  survived 
of  the  Balearic  Archipelago. 

Such  was  the  substance  of  the  narrative  which  the  pro- 
fessor gave  with  sundry  repetitions  and  digressions  ;  while 
he  was  giving  it,  he  frequently  paused  and  frowned  as  if 
irritated  in  a  way  that  seemed  by  no  means  justified  by 
the  patient  and  good-humoured  demeanour  of  his  audience. 

"  But  now,  gentlemen,"  added  the  professor,  "  I  must 
tell  you  something  more.  Important  changes  have  re- 
sulted from  the  collision  ;  the  cardinal  points  have  been 
displaced  ;  gravity  has  been  diminished  :  not  that  I  ever 
supposed  for  a  minute,  as  you  did,  that  I  was  still  upon 
the  earth.  No  !  the  earth,  attended  by  her  moon,  con- 
tinued to  rotate  along  her  proper  orbit.  But  we,  gentle- 
men, have  nothing  to  complain  of  ;  our  destiny  might 
have  been  far  worse ;  we  might  all  have  been  crushed  to 
death,  or  the  comet  might  have  remained  in  adhesion  to 
the  earth ;  and  in  neither  of  these  cases  should  we  have 
had  the  satisfaction  of  making  this  marvellous  excursion 
through  untraversed  solar  regions.  No,  gentlemen,  I 
repeat  it,  we  have  nothing  to  regret" 

And  as  the  professor  spoke,  he  seemed  to  kindle  with 
the  emotion  of  such  supreme  contentment  that  no  one 
had  the  heart  to  gainsay  his  assertion.  Ben  Zoof  alone 
ventured  an  unlucky  remark  to  the  effect  that  if  the  comet 
had  happened  to  strike  against  Montmartre,  instead  of  a 
bit  of  Africa,  it  would  have  met  with  some  resistance. 

"Pshaw!"  said  Rosette,  disdainfully.  "A  mole-hill 
like  Montmartre  would  have  been  ground  to  powder  in  a 
moment." 

**  Mole-hill !  "  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  stung  to  the  quick. 
"  I  can  tell  you  it  would  have  caught  up  your  bit  of  a 
comet  and  worn  it  like  a  feather  in  a  cap." 

The  professor  looked  angry,  and  Servadac  having  im- 
posed silence  upon  his  orderly,  explained  the  worthy 
soldier's  sensitiveness  on  all  that  concerned  Montmartre, 


230  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

Always  obedient  to  his  master,  Ben  Zoof  held  his  tongue ; 
but  he  felt  that  he  could  never  forgive  the  slight  that  had 
been  cast  upon  his  beloved  home. 

It  was  now  all-important  to  learn  whether  the  astro- 
nomer had  been  able  to  continue  his  observations,  and 
whether  he  had  learned  sufficient  of  Gallia's  path  through 
space  to  make  him  competent  to  determine,  at  least 
approximately,  the  period  of  its  revolution  round  the  sun. 
With  as  much  tact  and  caution  as  he  could.  Lieutenant 
Procope  endeavoured  to  intimate  the  general  desire  for 
some  information  on  this  point. 

"  Before  the  shock,  sir,"  answered  the  professor,  "  I  had 
conclusively  demonstrated  the  path  of  the  comet ;  but,  in 
consequence  of  the  modifications  which  that  shock  has 
entailed  upon  my  comet's  orbit,  I  have  been  compelled 
entirely  to  recommence  my  calculations." 

The  lieutenant  looked  disappointed. 

**  Although  the  orbit  of  the  earth  was  unaltered,"  con- 
tinued the  professor,  "  the  result  of  the  collision  was  the 
projection  of  the  comet  into  a  new  orbit  altogether." 

"And  may  I  ask,"  said  Procope,  deferentially,  "whether 
you  have  got  the  elements  of  the  fresh  orbit  ?  '* 

"  Yes." 

**  Then  perhaps  you  know  .  .  .  . " 

**I  know  this,  sir,  that  at  47  min.  35'6  sec.  after  two 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  January  last,  Gallia, 
in  passing  its  ascending  node,  came  in  contact  with  the 
earth ;  that  on  the  lOth  of  January  it  crossed  the  orbit  of 
Venus ;  that  it  reached  its  perihelion  on  the  15th  ;  that  it 
re-crossed  the  orbit  of  Venus  ;  that  on  the  ist  of  February 
it  passed  its  descending  node  ;  on  the  13th  crossed  the 
orbit  of  Mars  ;  entered  the  zone  of  the  telescopic  planets 
on  the  loth  of  March,  and,  attracting  Nerina,  carried  it  off 
as  a  satellite." 

Servadac  interposed  j 

"  We  are  already  acquainted  with  well-nigh  all  these 
extraordinary  facts  ;  many  of  them,  moreover,  we  have 
learned  from  documents  which  we  have   picked  up,  and 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  EXPERIENCES.  23 1 

which,  although  unsigned,  we  cannot  entertain  a  doubt 
have  originated  with  you." 

Professor  Rosette  drew  himself  up  proudly  and  said  : 

"  Of  course  they  originated  with  me.  I  sent  them  ofif 
by  hundreds.     From  whom  else  could  they  come } " 

"  From  no  one  but  yourself,  certainly,"  rejoined  the 
count,  with  grave  politeness. 

Hitherto  the  conversation  had  thrown  no  light  upon 
the  future  movements  of  Gallia,  and  Rosette  was  disposed 
apparently  to  evade,  or  at  least  to  postpone,  the  subject 
When,  therefore.  Lieutenant  Procope  was  about  to  press  his 
inquiries  in  a  more  categorical  form,  Servadac,  thinking  it 
advisable  not  prematurely  to  press  the  little  savant  too  far, 
interrupted  him  by  asking  the  professor  how  he  accounted 
for  the  earth  having  suffered  so  little  from  such  a  formid- 
able concussion, 

"  I  account  for  it  in  this  way,"  answered  Rosette  :  "  the 
earth  was  travelling  at  the  rate  of  28,000  leagues  an  hour, 
and  GaUia  at  the  rate  of  57,000  leagues  an  hour,  therefore 
the  result  was  the  same  as  though  a  train  rushing  along  at 
a  speed  of  about  86,000  leagues  an  hour  had  suddenly 
encountered  some  obstacle.  The  nucleus  of  the  comet, 
being  excessively  hard,  has  done  exactly  what  a  ball  would 
do  fired  with  that  velocity  close  to  a  pane  of  glass.  It  has 
crossed  the  earth  without  cracking  it." 

"  It  is  possible  you  may  be  right,"  said  Servadac, 
thoughtfully. 

"  Right !  of  course  I  am  right !  "  replied  the  snappish 
professor.  Soon,  however,  recovering  his  equanimity,  he 
continued  :  "  It  is  fortunate  that  the  earth  was  only  touched 
obliquely ;  if  the  comet  had  impinged  perpendicularly,  it 
must  have  plouglied  its  way  deep  below  the  surface,  and 
the  disasters  it  might  have  caused  are  beyond  reckoning. 
Perhaps,"  he  added,  with  a  smile,  "even  Montmartre  might 
not  have  survived  the  calamity." 

"  Sir !  "  shouted  Ben  Zoof,  quite  unable  to  bear  the 
unprovoked  attack. 

"Quiet.  Ben  Zoof!"  said  Servadac,  sternly. 


232  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

Fortunately  for  the  sake  of  peace,  Isaac  Hakkabut, 
who  at  length  was  beginning  to  realize  something  of  the 
true  condition  of  things,  came  forward  at  this  moment, 
and  in  a  voice  trembling  with  eagerness,  implored  the  pro- 
fessor to  tell  him  when  they  would  all  be  back  again  upon 
the  earth. 

"Are  you  in  a  great  hurry?"  asked  the  professor, 
coolly. 

The  Jew  was  about  to  speak  again,  when  Captain 
Servadac  interposed  : 

"Allow  me  to  say  that,  in  somewhat  more  scientific 
terms,  I  was  about  to  ask  you  the  same  question.  Did  I 
not  understand  you  to  say  that,  as  the  consequence  of  the 
collision,  the  character  of  the  comet's  orbit  has  been 
changed  ? " 

"You  did,  sir." 

"Did  you  imply  that  the  orbit  has  ceased  to  be  a 
parabola  ?  " 

"Just  so." 

"  Is  it  then  an  hyperbola }  and  are  we  to  be  carried  on 
far  and  away  into  remote  distance,  and  never,  never  to 
return  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  an  hyperbola,* 

"And  is  it  not?" 

"  It  is  not" 

"  Then  it  must  be  an  ellipse  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"And  does  its  plane  coincide  with  the  plane  of  the 
earth  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  it  must  be  a  periodic  comet  T* 

"  It  is." 

Servadac  involuntarily  raised  a  ringing  shout  of  joy 
that  echoed  again  along  the  gallery. 

"  Yes  ;  "  continued  the  professor,  "  Gallia  is  a  periodic 
comet,  and  allowing  for  the  perturbations  to  which  it  is 
liable  from  the  attraction  of  IMars  and  Jupiter  and  Saturn, 
it  will  return  to  the  earth  again  in  two  years  precisely." 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  EXPERIENCES.  233 


"  You  mean  that  in  two  years  after  the  first  shock, 
Gallia  will  meet  the  earth  at  the  same  point  as  they  met 
before  ?  "  said  Lieutenant  Procope. 

"  I  am  afraid  so,"  said  Rosette. 

"  Why  afraid  ?  " 

"  Because  we  are  doing  exceedingly  well  as  we  are." 
The  professor  stamped  his  foot  upon  the  ground,  by  way 
of  emphasis,  and  added,  "  If  I  had  my  will,  Gallia  should 
never  return  to  the  earth  again  I  '* 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  REVISED   CALENDAR. 

All  previous  hypotheses,  then,  were  now  forgotten  in  the 
presence  of  the  one  great  fact  that  Gallia  was  a  comet  and 
gravitating  through  remote  solar  regions.  Captain  Serva- 
dac  became  aware  that  the  huge  disc  that  had  been 
looming  through  the  clouds  after  the  shock  was  the  form 
of  the  retreating  earth,  to  the  proximity  of  which  the  one 
high  tide  they  had  experienced  was  also  to  be  attributed. 

As  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  professor's  prediction  of  an 
ultimate  return  to  the  terrestrial  sphere,  that  was  a  point 
on  which  it  must  be  owned  that  the  captain,  after  the  first 
flush  of  his  excitement  was  over,  was  not  without  many 
misgivings. 

The  next  day  or  two  were  spent  in  providing  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  new  comer.  Fortunately  his  desires 
were  very  moderate ;  he  seemed  to  live  among  the  stars, 
and  as  long  as  he  was  well  provided  with  coffee,  he  cared 
little  for  luxuries,  and  paid  little  or  no  regard  to  the  in- 
genuity with  which  all  the  internal  arrangements  of  Nina's 
Hive  had  been  devised.  Anxious  to  show  all  proper  re- 
spect to  his  former  tutor,  Servadac  proposed  to  leave  the 
most  comfortable  apartment  of  the  place  at  his  disposal ; 
but  the  professor  resolutely  declined  to  occupy  it,  saying 
that  what  he  required  was  a  small  chamber,  no  matter  how 
small,  provided  that  it  was  elevated  and  secluded,  which 
he  could  use  as  an  observatory  and  where  he  might  pro- 


A  REVISED  CALENDAR.  235 


secute  his  studies  without  disturbance.  A  general  search 
was  instituted,  and  before  long  they  were  lucky  enough  to 
find,  about  a  hundred  feet  above  the  central  grotto,  a  small 
recess  or  reduct  hollowed  as  it  were  in  the  mountain-side, 
which  would  exactly  answer  their  purpose.  It  contained 
room  enough  for  a  bed,  a  table,  an  arm-chair,  a  chest  of 
drawers,  and,  what  was  of  still  more  consequence,  for  the 
indispensable  telescope.  One  small  stream  of  lava,  an  off- 
shoot of  the  great  torrent,  sufficed  to  warm  the  apartment 
enough. 

In  these  retired  quarters  the  astronomer  took  up  his 
abode.  It  was  on  all  hands  acknowledged  to  be  advisable 
to  let  him  go  on  entirely  in  his  own  way.  His  meals  were 
taken  to  him  at  stated  intervals  ;  he  slept  but  little ;  carried 
on  his  calculations  by  day,  his  observations  by  night,  and 
very  rarely  made  his  appearance  amongst  the  rest  of  the 
little  community. 

The  cold  now  became  very  intense,  the  thermometer 
registering  30°C.  below  zero.  The  mercury,  however,  never 
exhibited  any  of  those  fluctuations  that  are  ever  and 
again  to  be  observed  in  variable  climates,  but  continued 
slowly  and  steadily  to  fall,  and  in  all  probability  would 
continue  to  do  so  until  it  reached  the  normal  temperature 
of  the  regions  of  outlying  space. 

This  steady  sinking  of  the  mercury  was  accompanied 
by  a  complete  stillness  of  the  atmosphere ;  the  very  air 
seemed  to  be  congealed ;  no  particle  of  it  stirred  ;  from 
zenith  to  horizon  there  was  never  a  cloud  ;  neither  were 
there  any  of  the  damp  mists  or  dry  fogs  which  so  often 
extend  over  the  polar  regions  of  the  earth ;  the  sky  was 
always  clear ;  the  sun  shone  by  day  and  the  stars  by  night 
without  causing  any  perceptible  difference  in  the  tempera- 
ture. 

These  peculiar  conditions  rendered  the  cold  endurable 
even  in  the  open  air.  The  cause  of  so  many  of  the  dis- 
eases that  prove  fatal  to  Arctic  explorers  resides  in  the 
cutting  winds,  unwholesome  fogs,  or  terrible  snow-drifts, 
which,  by  drying  up,  relaxing,  or  otherwise  affecting  the 


236  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

lungs,  make  them  incapable  of  fulfilling  their  propel 
functions.  But  during  periods  of  calm  weather,  when  the 
air  has  been  absolutely  still,  many  polar  navigators,  well- 
clothed  and  properly  fed,  have  been  known  to  withstand  a 
temperature  when  the  spirit  in  the  thermometer  has  fallen 
to  60°  below  zero.  It  was  the  experience  of  Parry  upon 
Melville  Island,  of  Kane  beyond  lat.  81^  N.,  and  of 
Hall  and  the  crew  of  the  Polaris,  that,  however  intense  the 
cold,  in  the  absence  of  the  wind  they  could  always  brave 
its  rigour. 

Notwithstanding,  then,  the  extreme  lowness  of  the 
temperature,  the  little  population  found  that  they  were  able 
to  move  about  in  the  open  air  with  perfect  immunity. 
The  governour-general  made  it  his  special  care  to  see 
that  his  people  were  all  well  fed  and  warmly  clad.  Food 
was  both  wholesome  and  abundant,  and  besides  the  furs 
brought  from  the  Dobryiia's  stores,  fresh  skins  could  very 
easily  be  procured  and  made  up  into  wearing  apparel.  A 
daily  course  of  out-door  exercise  was  enforced  upon  every 
one ;  not  even  Pablo  and  Nina  were  exempted  from  the 
general  rule  ;  the  two  children,  muffled  up  in  furs,  looking 
like  little  Esquimeaux,  skated  along  together,  Pablo  ever  at 
his  companion's  side,  ready  to  give  her  a  helping  hand 
whenever  she  was  weary  with  the  exertions  of  her  re- 
creation. 

After  his  interview  with  the  newly  arrived  astronomer, 
Isaac  Hakkabut  slunk  back  again  to  his  tartan.  A  change 
had  come  over  his  ideas ;  he  could  no  longer  resist  the 
conviction  that  he  was  indeed  millions  and  millions  of 
miles  away  from  the  earth,  where  he  had  carried  on  so 
varied  and  remunerative  a  traffic.  It  might  be  imagined 
that  this  realization  of  his  true  position  would  have  led 
him  to  a  better  mind,  and  that,  in  some  degree  at  least  he 
would  have  been  induced  to  regard  the  it.\N  fellow-creatures 
with  whom  his  lot  had  been  so  strangely  cast,  otherwise 
than  as  mere  instruments  to  be  turned  to  his  own  personal 
and  pecuniary  advantage  ;  but  no — the  desire  of  gain  was 
too  thoroughly  ingrained  into  his  hard  nature  ever  to  be 


A  REVISED  CALENDAR.  23^ 

eradicated,  and  secure  in  his  knowledge  that  he  was  undet 
the  protection  of  a  French  officer,  who,  except  under  the 
most  urgent  necessity,  would  not  permit  him  to  be 
molested  in  retaining  his  property,  he  determined  to  wait 
for  some  emergency  to  arise  which  should  enable  him  to 
use  his  present  situation  for  his  own  profit 

On  the  one  hand,  the  Jew  took  it  into  account  that 
although  the  chances  of  returning  to  the  earth  might  be 
remote,  yet  from  what  he  had  heard  from  the  professor  he 
could  not  believe  that  they  were  improbable  ;  on  the  other, 
he  knew  that  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  in  English  and 
Russian  coinage,  was  in  the  possession  of  various  members 
of  the  little  colony,  and  this,  although  valueless  now,  would 
be  worth  as  much  as  ever  if  the  proper  condition  of  things 
should  be  restored  ;  accordingly,  he  set  his  heart  on  getting 
all  the  monetary  wealth  of  Gallia  into  his  possession,  and 
to  do  this  he  must  sell  his  goods.  But  he  would  not  sell 
them  yet ;  there  might  come  a  time  when  for  many  articles 
the  supply  would  not  be  equal  to  the  demand  ;  that  would 
be  the  time  for  him  ;  by  waiting  he  reckoned  he  should  be 
able  to  transact  some  lucrative  business. 

Such  in  his  solitude  were  old  Isaac's  cogitations,  whilst 
the  universal  population  of  Nina's  Hive  were  congratulat- 
ing themselves  upon  being  rid  of  his  odious  presence. 

As  already  stated  in  the  message  brought  by  the 
carrier  pigeon,  the  distance  travelled  by  Gallia  in  April 
was  39,000,000  leagues,  and  at  the  end  of  the  month  she 
was  110,000,000  leagues  from  the  sun.  A  diagram  repre- 
senting the  elliptical  orbit  of  the  planet,  accompanied  by 
an  ephemeris  made  out  in  minute  detail,  had  been  drawn 
out  by  the  professor.  The  curve  was  divided  into  twenty- 
four  sections  of  unequal  length,  representing  respectively 
the  distance  described  in  the  twenty-four  months  of  the 
Gallian  year,  the  twelve  former  divisions,  according  tc 
Kepler's  law,  gradually  diminishing  in  length  as  they 
approached  the  point  denoting  the  aphelion  and  increasing 
as  they  neared  the  perihelion. 

It  was  on  the  I2th  of  May  that  Rosette  exhibited  thi» 


23?  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


result  of  his  labours  to  Servadac,  the  count,  and  the  lieu- 
tenant,  who  visited  his  apartment  and  naturally  examined 
the  drawing  with  the  keenest  interest.  Gallia's  path, 
extending  beyond  the  orbit  of  Jupiter,  lay  clearly  defined 
before  their  eyes,  the  progress  along  the  orbit  and  the 
solar  distances  being  inserted  for  each  month  separately. 
Nothing  could  look  plainer,  and  if  the  professor's  calcula- 
tions were  correct  (a  point  upon  which  they  dared  not, 
if  they  would,  express  the  semblance  of  a  doubt),  Gallia 
would  accomplish  her  revolution  in  precisely  two  years, 
and  would  meet  the  earth,  which  would  in  the  same  period 
of  time  have  completed  two  annual  revolutions,  in  the  very 
same  spot  as  before.  What  would  be  the  consequences  of 
a  second  collision  they  scarcely  ventured  to  think. 

Without  lifting  his  eye  from  the  diagram,  which  he 
was  still  carefully  scrutinizing,  Servadac  said  : 

"  I  see  that  during  the  month  of  May,  Gallia  will  only 
travel  30,400,000  leagues,  and  that  this  will  leave  her  about 
140,000,000  leagues  distant  from  the  sun." 

"  Just  so,"  replied  the  professor. 

"  Then  we  have  already  passed  the  zone  of  the  tele- 
scopic planets,  have  we  not  ?  "  asked  the  count. 

"  Can  you  not  use  your  eyes  ? "  said  the  professor, 
testily.  "  If  you  will  look  you  will  see  the  zone  marked 
clearly  enough  upon  the  map." 

Without  noticing  the  interruption,  Servadac  continued 
his  own  remarks  : 

"  The  comet  then,  I  see,  is  to  reach  its  aphelion  on  the 
15th  of  January,  exactly  a  twelvemonth  after  passing  it.s 
perihelion." 

"  A  twelvemonth  !  Not  a  Gallian  twelvemonth  .?  "  ex- 
claimed Rosette. 

Servadac  looked  bewildered.  Lieutenant  Procope 
could  not  suppress  a  smile. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at .?  "  demanded  the  professor, 
turning  round  upon  him  angrily. 

"  Nothing,  sir  ;  only  it  amuses  me  to  see  how  you  want 
to  revise  the  terrestrial  calendar." 


A  REVISED  CALENDAR.  239 


**  I  want  to  be  logical,  that's  all." 

"  By  all  manner  of  means,  my  dear  professor,  let  us  be 
logical." 

"Well,  then,  listen  to  me,"  resumed  the  professor,  stiffly. 
"  I  presume  you  are  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  Gallian 
year— by  which  I  mean  the  time  in  which  Gallia  makes 
one  revolution  round  the  sun — is  equal  in  length  to  two 
terrestrial  years." 

They  signified  their  assent 

"And  that  year,  like  every  other  year,  ought  to  be 
divided  into  twelve  months." 

"Yes,  certainly,  if  you  wish  it,"  said  the  captain, 
acquiescing. 

"  If  I  wish  it! "  exclaimed  Rosette.  "  Nothing  of  the 
sort !     Of  course  a  year  must  have  twelve  months  ! " 

"  Of  course,"  said  the  captain. 

"  And  how  many  days  will  make  a  month  .?  "  asked  the 
professor. 

"I  suppose  sixty  or  sixty-two,  as  the  case  may  be. 
The  days  now  are  only  half  as  long  as  they  used  to  be," 
answered  the  captain. 

"  Servadac,  don't  be  thoughtless  !  "  cried  Rosette,  with 
all  the  petulant  impatience  of  the  old  pedagogue.  "  If  the 
days  are  only  half  as  long  as  they  were,  sixty  of  them 
cannot  make  up  a  twelfth  part  of  Gallia's  year — cannot  be 
a  month." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  replied  the  confused  captain. 

"  Do  you  not  see,  then,"  continued  the  astronomer, 
"  that  if  a  Gallian  month  is  twice  as  long  as  a  terrestrial 
month,  and  a  Gallian  day  is  only  half  as  long  as  a  terres- 
trial day,  there  must  be  a  hundred  and  twenty  days  in 
every  month  .-* " 

"  No  doubt  you  are  right,  professor,"  said  Count  Timas- 
chefF ;  "  but  do  you  not  think  that  the  use  of  a  new 
calendar  such  as  this  would  practically  be  very  trouble- 
some .''  " 

"  Not  at  all !  not  at  all !  I  do  not  intend  to  use  any 
other,"  was  the  professor's  bluff  reply. 


240  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

After  pondering  for  a  few  moments,  the  captain  spoke 
again  : 

"According,  then,  to  this  new  calendar,  it  isn't  the 
middle  of  May  at  all ;  it  must  now  be  some  time  in 
March." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  professor,  "to-day  is  the  26th  of  March. 
It  is  the  266th  day  of  the  Gallian  year.  It  corresponds 
with  the  133rd  day  of  the  terrestrial  year.  You  are  quite 
correct,  it  is  the  26th  of  March." 

**  Strange  !  "  muttered  Servadac. 

"  And  a  month,  a  terrestrial  month,  thirty  old  days, 
sixty  new  days  hence,  it  will  be  the  86th  of  March." 

"  Ha,  ha  ! "  roared  the  captain  ;  "  this  is  logic  with 
a  vengeance ! " 

The  old  professor  had  an  undefined  consciousness  that 
his  former  pupil  was  laughing  at  him  ;  and  as  it  was 
growing  late,  he  made  an  excuse  that  he  had  no  more 
leisure.     The  visitors  accordingly  quitted  the  observatory. 

It  must  be  owned  that  the  revised  calendar  was  left  to 
the  professor's  sole  use,  and  the  colony  was  fairly  puzzled 
whenever  he  referred  to  such  unheard-of  dates  as  the  47th 
of  April  or  the  i  i8th  of  May. 

According  to  the  old  calendar,  June  had  now  arrived ; 
and  by  the  professor's  tables  Gallia  during  the  month 
would  have  advanced  27,500,000  leagues  further  along  its 
orbit,  and  would  have  attained  a  distance  of  155,000,000 
leagues  from  the  sun.  The  thermometer  continued  to  fall ; 
the  atmosphere  remained  clear  as  heretofore.  The  popula- 
tion performed  their  daily  avocations  with  systematic 
routine  ;  and  almost  the  only  thing  that  broke  the  mono- 
tony of  existence  was  an  occasional  visit  from  the  bluster- 
•ng,  ner\'-ous,  little  professor,  when  some  sudden  fancy 
induced  him  to  throw  aside  his  astronomical  studies  for  a 
time,  and  pay  a  visit  to  the  common  hall  His  arrival 
there  was  generally  hailed  as  the  precursor  of  a  little 
season  of  excitement.  Somehow  or  other  the  conversa- 
tion would  eventually  work  its  way  round  to  the  topic  of  a 
future  collision  between  the  comet  and  the  earth ;  and  in 


A  REVISED  CALENDAR.  24 1 

the  same  degree  as  this  was  a  matter  of  sanguine  anticipa- 
tion to  Captain  Sei-vadac  and  his  friends,  it  was  a  matter 
of  aversion  to  the  astronomical  enthusiast,  who  had  no 
desire  to  quit  his  present  quarters  in  a  sphere  which,  being 
of  his  own  discovery,  he  could  hardly  have  cared  for  more 
if  it  had  been  of  his  own  creation.  The  interview  would 
often  terminate  in  a  scene  of  considerable  animation. 

On  the  27t.h  of  June  (old  calendar)  the  professor  burst 
like  a  cannon-ball  into  the  central  hall,  where  they  were  all 
assembled,  and  without  a  word  of  salutation  or  of  preface, 
accosted  the  lieutenant  in  the  way  in  which  in  earlier  days 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  speak  to  an  idle  school-boy  : 

"  Now,  lieutenant !  no  evasions  !  no  shufflings  !  Tell 
me,  have  you  or  have  you  not  circumnavigated  Gallia  ?  " 

The  lieutenant  drew  himself  up  stiffly. 

"Evasions!  shufflings!  I  am  not  accustomed,  sir  .  .  .  ." 
he  began  in  a  tone  evidencing  no  little  resentment ;  but 
catching  a  hint  from  the  count  he  subdued  his  voice,  and 
simply  said,  "  We  have." 

"  And  may  I  ask,"  continued  the  professor,  quite 
unaware  of  his  previous  discourtesy,  "whether,  when  you 
made  your  voyage,  you  took  any  account  of  distances  ?  " 

"  As  approximately  as  I  could,"  replied  the  lieutenant ; 
"  I  did  what  I  could  by  log  and  compass.  I  was  unable 
to  take  the  altitude  of  sun  or  star." 

"  At  what  result  did  you  arrive  ?  What  is  the  mea- 
surement of  our  equator }  "  ^ 

"  I  estimate  the  total  circumference  of  the  equator  to 
be  about  1400  miles." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  professor,  more  than  half  speaking  to 
himself,  "a  circumference  of  1400  miles  would  give  a 
diameter  of  about  450  miles.  That  would  be  approxi- 
mately  about  one-sixteenth  of  the  diameter  of  the  earth." 

Raising  his  voice,  he  continued  : 

"  Gentlemen,  in  order  to  complete  my  account  of  my 
comet  Gallia,  I  require  to  know  its  area,  its  mass,  its 
volume,  its  density,  its  specific  gravity.'' 

"  Since  we  know   the   diameter,"  remarked   the   lieu- 


242  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


tenant,  "  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  its  surface 
and  its  volume." 

"  And  did  I  say  there  was  any  difficulty  ? "  asked  the 
professor,  fiercely.  "  I  have  been  able  to  reckon  that  ever 
since  I  was  born." 

"  Cock-a-doodle-doo  !  "  cried  Ben  Zoof,  delighted  at 
any  opportunity  of  paying  off  his  old  grudge. 

The  professor  looked  at  him,  but  did  not  vouchsafe 
a  word.     Addressing  the  captain,  he  said  : 

"  Now,  Servadac,  take  your  paper  and  a  pen,  and  find 
me  the  surface  of  Gallia." 

With  more  submission  than  when  he  was  a  school-boy, 
the  captain  sat  down  and  endeavoured  to  recall  the  proper 
formula. 

"  The  surface  of  a  sphere  ?  Multiply  circumference  by 
diameter." 

"  Right !  "  cried  Rosette  ;  "  but  it  ought  to  be  done  by 
this  time." 

"  Circumference,  1400  ;  diameter,  450  ;  area  of  surface, 
630,000,"  read  the  captain. 

"  True,"  replied  Rosette,  "  630,000  square  miles  ;  just 
292  times  less  than  that  of  the  earth." 

"  Pretty  little  comet !  nice  little  comet !  "  muttered  Ben 
Zoof. 

The  astronomer  bit  his  lip,  frowned,  snorted,  and  cast 
at  him  a  withering  look,  but  did  not  take  any  further 
notice. 

"  Now,  Captain  Servadac,"  said  the  professor,  "  take 
your  pen  again,  if  you  please,  and  find  me  the  volume  of 
Gallia." 

The  captain  hesitated. 

"  Quick,  quick  ! "  cried  the  professor,  impatiently  ; 
"  surely  you  have  not  forgotten  how  to  find  tlie  volume 
of  a  sphere ! " 

"  A  moment's  breathing  time,  please." 

**  Breathing  time,  indeed  !  A  mathematician  should 
not  want  breathing  time !  Come,  multiply  the  surface  by 
the  third  of  the  radius.     Don't  you  recollect  ? " 


A  REVISED  CALENDAR.  243 


Captain  Servadac  applied  himself  to  his  task  while  the 
by-standers  waited,  with  some  difficulty  suppressing  their 
inclination  to  laugh.  There  was  a  short  silence,  at  the  end 
of  which  Servadac  announced  that  the  volume  of  the  comet 
was  47,880,000  cubic  miles. 

"  Just  about  5000  times  less  than  the  earth,"  observed 
the  lieutenant 

"  Nice  little  comet !  pretty  little  comet ! "  again  said 
Ben  Zoof. 

The  professor  scowled  at  him,  and  was  manifestly 
annoyed  at  having  the  insignificant  dimensions  of  his 
comet  pointed  out  in  so  disparaging  a  manner.  Lieutenant 
Procope  further  remarked  that  from  the  earth  he  supposed 
it  to  be  about  as  conspicuous  as  a  star  of  the  seventh 
magnitude,  and  would  require  a  good  telescope  to  see  it 

"  Ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  the  orderly,  aloud  ;  "  charming 
little  comet !   so  pretty !  and  so  modest  I  '* 

"  You  rascal !  "  roared  the  professor,  and  clenched  his 
hand  in  passion,  as  if  about  to  strike  him.  Ben  Zoof 
laughed  the  more,  and  was  on  the  point  of  repeating  his 
satirical  comments,  when  a  stern  order  from  the  captain 
made  him  hold  his  tongue.  The  truth  was  that  the  pro- 
fessor was  just  as  sensitive  about  his  comet  as  the  orderly 
was  about  Montmartre,  and  if  the  contention  between  the 
two  had  been  allowed  to  go  on  unchecked,  it  is  impossible 
to  say  what  serious  quarrel  might  not  have  arisen. 

When  Professor  Rosette's  equanimity  had  been 
restored,  he  said : 

"  Thus,  then,  gentlemen,  the  diameter,  the  surface,  the 
volume  of  my  comet  are  settled  ;  but  there  is  more  to  be 
done.  I  shall  not  be  satisfied  until,  by  actual  measure- 
ment, I  have  determined  its  mass,  its  density,  and  the 
force  of  gravity  at  its  surface." 

"  A  laborious  problem,"  remarked  Count  Timascheff. 

**  Laborious  or  not,  it  has  to  be  accomplished.  I  am 
resolved  to  find  out  what  my  comet  weighs." 

"  Would  it  not  be  of  some  assistance,  if  we  knew  of 
what  substance  it  is  composed  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant 


244  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

"  That  is  of  no  moment  at  all,"  replied  the  professor  ; 
"the  problem  is  independent  of  it." 

"  Then  we  await  your  orders,"  was  the  captain's  reply. 

"  You  must  understand,  however,"  said  Rosette,  "  that 
there  are  various  preliminary  calculations  to  be  made  ;  you 
will  have  to  wait  till  they  are  finished." 

"  As  long  as  you  please,"  said  the  count. 

"  No  hurry  at  all,"  observed  the  captain,  who  was  not 
in  the  least  impatient  to  continue  his  mathematical  exer- 
cises. 

"  Then,  gentlemen,"  said  the  astronomer,  "  with  your 
leave  we  will  for  this  purpose  make  an  appointment  a  few 
weeks  hence.     What  do  you  say  to  the  62nd  of  April  ?  " 

Without  noticing  the  general  smile  which  the  novel 
date  provoked,  the  astronomer  left  the  hall,  and  retired  to 
his  observatory. 


CHAPTER   VL 

wanted:  a  steelyard. 

Under  the  still  diminishing  influence  of  the  sun*s  attrao= 
tion,  but  without  let  or  hindrance,  Gallia  continued  its 
inter-planetary  course,  accompanied  by  Nerina,  its  captured 
satellite,  which  performed  its  fortnightly  revolutions  with 
unvarying  regularity. 

Meanwhile,  the  question  beyond  all  others  important 
was  ever  recurring  to  the  minds  of  Servadac  and  his  two 
companions  :  were  the  astronomer's  calculations  correct, 
and  was  there  a  sound  foundation  for  his  prediction  that 
the  comet  would  again  touch  the  earth  ?  But  whatever 
might  be  their  doubts  or  anxieties,  they  were  fain  to  keep 
all  their  misgivings  to  themselves  ;  the  professor  was  of  a 
temper  far  too  cross-grained  for  them  to  venture  to  ask 
him  to  revise  or  re-examine  the  results  of  his  observations. 

The  rest  of  the  community  by  no  means  shared  in 
their  uneasiness.  Negrete  and  his  fellow-countrymen 
yielded  to  their  destiny  with  philosophical  indifference. 
Happier  and  better  provided  for  than  they  had  ever  been 
in  their  lives,  it  did  not  give  them  a  passing  thought,  far 
less  cause  any  serious  concern,  whether  they  were  still 
circling  round  the  sun,  or  whether  they  were  being  carried 
right  away  within  the  limits  of  another  system.  Utterly 
careless  of  the  future,  the  majos,  light-hearted  as  ever, 
carolled  out  their  favourite  songs,  just  as  if  they  had  never 
quitted  the  shores  of  tlieir  native  land. 


246  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

Happiest  of  all  were  Pablo  and  Nina.  Racing  through 
the  galleries  of  the  Hive,  clambering  over  the  rocks  upon 
the  shore,  one  day  skating  far  away  across  the  frozen 
ocean,  the  next  fishing  in  the  lake  that  was  kept  liquid 
by  the  heat  of  the  lava-torrent,  the  two  children  led  a  life 
of  perpetual  enjoyment.  Nor  was  their  recreation  allowed 
to  interfere  with  their  studies.  Captain  Servadac,  who  in 
common  with  the  count  really  liked  them  both,  conceived 
that  the  responsibilities  of  a  parent  in  some  degree  had 
devolved  upon  him,  and  took  great  care  in  superintending 
their  daily  lessons,  which  he  succeeded  in  making  hardly 
less  pleasant  than  their  sports. 

Indulged  and  loved  by  all,  it  was  little  wonder  that 
young  Pablo  had  no  longing  for  the  scorching  plains  of 
Andalusia,  or  that  little  Nina  had  lost  all  wish  to  return 
with  her  pet  goat  to  the  barren  rocks  of  Sardinia.  They 
had  now  a  home  in  which  they  had  nothing  to  desire. 

"  Have  you  no  father  nor  mother  ?  "  asked  Pablo,  one 
day. 

"  No,"  she  answered. 

"  No  more  have  I,"  said  the  boy,  "  I  used  to  run  along 
by  the  side  of  the  diligences  when  I  was  in  Spain." 

"  I  used  to  look  after  goats  at  Madalena,"  said  Nina  ; 
"  but  it  is  much  nicer  here — I  am  so  happy  here.  I  have 
you  for  a  brother,  and  everybody  is  so  kind.  I  am  afraid 
they  will  spoil  us,  Pablo,"  she  added,  smiling. 

"  Oh,  no,  Nina  ;  you  are  too  good  to  be  spoiled,  and 
when  I  am  with  you,  you  make  mc  good  too,"  said  Pablo, 
gravely. 

July  had  now  arrived.  During  the  month  Gallia's 
advance  along  its  orbit  would  be  reduced  to  22,000,000 
leagues,  the  distance  from  the  sun  at  the  end  being 
172,000,000  leagues,  about  four  and  a  half  times  as  great 
as  the  average  distance  of  the  earth  from  the  sun.  It  was 
travelling  now  at  about  the  same  speed  as  the  earth,  which 
traverses  the  ecliptic  at  a  rate  of  21,000,000  leagues  a 
month,  or  28,800  leagues  an  hour. 

In  due  time  the  62nd  April,  according  to  the  revised 


wanted:  a  steelyard.  247 


GalHan  calendar,  dawned  ;  and  in  punctual  fulfilment  6l 
the  professor's  appointment,  a  note  was  delivered  to  Ser- 
vadac  to  say  that  he  was  ready,  and  hoped  that  day  to 
commence  operations  for  calculating  the  mass  and  density 
of  his  comet,  as  well  as  the  force  of  gravity  at  its  surface. 

A  point  of  far  greater  interest  to  Captain  Servadac 
and  his  friends  would  have  been  to  ascertain  the  nature  of 
the  substance  of  which  the  comet  was  composed,  but  they 
felt  pledged  to  render  the  professor  any  aid  they  could  in 
the  researches  upon  which  he  had  set  his  heart.  Without 
delay,  therefore,  they  assembled  in  the  central  hall,  where 
they  were  very  soon  joined  by  Rosette,  who  seemed  to  be 
in  fairly  good  temper. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  began,  **  I  propose  to-day  to  en- 
deavour to  complete  our  observations  of  the  elements  of 
my  comet.  Three  matters  of  investigation  are  before  us. 
First,  the  measure  of  gravity  at  its  surface  ;  this  attractive 
force  we  know,  by  the  increase  of  our  own  muscular  force, 
must  of  course  be  considerably  less  than  that  at  the  surface 
of  the  earth.  Secondly,  its  mass,  that  is,  the  quantity  of 
its  matter.  And  thirdly,  its  density  or  quantity  of  matter 
in  a  unit  of  its  volume.  We  will  proceed,  gentlemen,  if 
you  please,  to  weigh  Gallia." 

Ben  Zoof,  who  had  just  entered  the  hall,  caught  the 
professor's  last  sentence,  and  without  saying  a  word,  went 
out  again  and  was  absent  for  some  minutes.  When  he 
returned,  he  said  : 

"  If  you  want  to  weigh  this  comet  of  yours,  I  suppose 
you  want  a  pair  of  scales  ;  but  I  have  been  to  look,  and  I 
cannot  find  a  pair  anywhere.  And  what's  more,"  he 
added  mischievously,  "  you  won't  get  them  anywhere." 

A  frown  came  over  the  professor's  countenance.  Ser- 
vadac saw  it,  and  gave  his  orderly  a,  sign  that  he  should 
desist  entirely  from  his  bantering. 

**  I  require,  gentlemen,"  resumed  Rosette,  "  first  of  all 
to  know  by  how  much  the  weight  of  a  kilogramme  here 
differs  from  its  weight  upon  the  earth  ;  *  the  attraction,  as 

*  2 '2  lbs.  avoirdupois. 


248  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

we  have  said,  being  less,  the  weight  will  be  proportionately 
less  also." 

"  Then  an  ordinary  pair  of  scales,  being  under  the  in- 
fluence of  attraction,  I  suppose,  would  not  answer  your 
purpose,"  submitted  the  lieutenant. 

"  And  the  very  kilogramme  weight  you  used  would 
have  become  lighter,"  put  in  the  count,  deferentially. 

"  Pray,  gentlemen,  do  not  interrupt  me,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor, authoritatively,  as  if  ex  cathedrd.  "  I  need  no  in- 
struction on  these  points," 

Procope  and  Timaschefif  demurely  bowed  their  heads. 

The  professor  resumed  : 

"  Upon  a  steelyard,  or  spring-balance,  dependent  upon 
mere  tension  or  flexibility,  the  attraction  will  have  no  influ- 
ence. If  I  suspend  a  weight  equivalent  to  the  weight  of  a 
kilogramme,  the  index  will  register  the  proper  weight  on  the 
surface  of  Gallia.  Thus  1  shall  arrive  at  the  difference  I 
want :  the  difference  between  the  earth's  attraction  and 
the  comet's.  Will  you,  therefore,  have  the  goodness  to 
provide  me  at  once  with  a  steelyard  and  a  tested  kilo- 
gramme." 

The  audience  looked  at  one  another,  and  then  at  Ben 
Zoof,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the  resources 
of  the  colony, 

"  We  have  neither  one  nor  the  other,"  said  the  orderly. 

The  professor  stamped  with  vexation, 

"  I  believe  old  Hakkabut  has  a  steelyard  on  board  hia 
tartan,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  presently. 

"  Then  why  didn't  you  say  so  before,  you  idiot } " 
roared  the  excitable  little  man. 

Anxious  to  pacify  him,  Servadac  assured  him  that 
every  exertion  should  be  made  to  procure  the  instrument, 
and  directed  Ben  Zoof  to  go  to  the  Jew  and  borrow  it. 

"No,  stop  a  moment,"  he  said,  as  Ben  Zoof  v/as  moving 
away  on  his  errand  ;  "  perhaps  I  had  better  go  with  you 
myself;  the  old  Jew  may  make  a  difficulty  about  lending 
us  any  of  his  property." 

*'  Why  should  we  not  all  go } "  asked  the  count ;  **  we 


WANTED:   A  STEELYARD.  249 

should  see  what  kind  of  a  life  the  misanthrope  leads  on 
board  the  Hansa" 

The  proposal  met  with  general  approbation. 

Before  they  started,  Professor  Rosette  requested  that 
one  of  the  men  might  be  ordered  to  cut  him  a  cubic  deci- 
metre out  of  the  solid  substance  of  Gallia.* 

"  My  engineer  is  the  man  for  that,"  said  the  count ;  "he 
will  do  it  well  for  you  if  you  will  give  him  the  precise 
measurement." 

"  What !  you  don't  mean,"  exclaimed  the  professor, 
again  going  off  into  a  passion,  "  that  you  haven't  a  proper 
measure  of  length  ? " 

Ben  Zoof  was  sent  off  to  ransack  the  stores  for  the 
article  in  question,  but  no  measure  was  forthcoming. 

"  Most  likely  we  shall  find  one  on  board  the  tartan," 
said  the  orderly. 

"  Then  let  us  lose  no  time  in  trying,"  answered  the 
professor,  as  he  bustled  with  hasty  strides  into  the  gallery. 

The  rest  of  the  party  followed,  and  were  soon  in  the 
open  air  upon  the  rocks  that  overhung  the  shore.  They 
descended  to  the  level  of  the  frozen  water  and  made  theif 
way  along  its  edge  towards  the  little  creek  where  the 
Dobryna  and  the  Hansa  lay  firmly  imprisoned  in  their  icy 
bonds. 

The  temperature  was  low  beyond  previous  experience  ; 
but  well  muffled  up  in  fur,  they  all  endured  it  without  much 
actual  suffering.  Their  breath  issued  in  vapour,  which  was 
at  once  congealed  into  little  crystals  upon  their  whiskers, 
beards,  eyebrows,  and  eyelashes,  until  their  faces,  covered 
with  countless  snow-white  prickles,  were  truly  ludicrous. 
The  little  professor,  most  comical  of  all,  resembled  nothing 
so  much  as  the  cub  of  an  Arctic  bear. 

It  was  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  sun  was 
rapidly  approaching  the  zenith  ;  but  its  disc,  from  the 
extreme  remoteness,  was  proportionately  dwarfed  ;  its 
beams  being  all  but  destitute  of  their  proper  warmth  and 

*  A  decimetre =3 '93  inches  ;  a  cubic  decimetre,  therefore  (3 '93)' =60  cubic 
inches,  nearlv. 


250  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

radiance.  The  volcano  to  its  very  summit  and  the  sur- 
rounding rocks  were  still  covered  with  the  unsullied 
mantle  of  snow  that  had  fallen  while  the  atmosphere  was 
still  to  some  extent  charged  with  vapour  ;  but  on  the  north 
side  the  snow  had  given  place  to  the  cascade  of  fiery  lava, 
which,  making  its  way  down  the  sloping  rocks  as  far  as  the 
vaulted  opening  of  the  central  cavern,  fell  thence  perpen- 
dicularly into  the  sea. 

Above  the  cavern,  150  feet  up  the  mountain,  was  a 
dark  hole,  above  which  the  stream  of  lava  made  a  bifur- 
cation in  its  course.  From  this  hole  projected  the  case  of 
an  astronomer's  telescope ;  it  was  the  opening  of  Palmyrin 
Rosette's  observatory. 

Sea  and  land  seemed  blended  into  one  dreary  whiteness, 
to  which  the  pale  blue  sky  offered  scarcely  any  contrast. 
The  shore  was  indented  with  the  marks  of  many  footsteps 
left  by  the  colonists  either  on  their  way  to  collect  ice  for 
drinking  purposes,  or  as  the  result  of  their  skating  expe- 
ditions ;  the  edges  of  the  skates  had  cut  out  a  labyrinth  of 
curves  complicated  as  the  figures  traced  by  aquatic  insects 
upon  the  surface  of  a  pool. 

Across  the  quarter  of  a  mile  of  level  ground  that  lay 
between  the  mountain  and  the  creek,  a  series  of  footprints, 
frozen  hard  into  the  snow,  marked  the  course  taken  by 
Isaac  Hakkabut  on  his  last  return  from  Nina's  Hive. 

On  approaching  the  creek,  Lieutenant  Procope  drew 
his  companions'  attention  to  the  elevation  of  the  Dobrytia's 
and  Haiisds  waterline,  both  vessels  being  now  some  fifteen 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

"  What  a  strange  phenomenon!"  exclaimed  the  captain. 

"  It  makes  me  very  uneasy,"  rejoined  the  lieutenant  ; 
"  in  shallow  places  like  this,  as  the  crust  of  ice  thickens,  il 
forces  everything  upwards  with  irresistible  force." 

"  But  surely  this  process  of  congelation  must  have  a 
limit !  "  said  the  count. 

"  But  who  can  say  what  that  limit  will  be  .?  Remember 
that  we  have  not  yet  reached  our  maximum  of  cold," 
replied  Procope. 


wanted:  a  steelyard.  251 

"  Indeed,  I  hope  not !  "  exclaimed  the  professor ;  "  where 
would  be  the  use  of  our  travelling  200,000,000  leagues  from 
the  sun,  if  we  are  only  to  experience  the  same  temperature 
as  we  should  find  at  the  poles  of  the  earth  ?  " 

"  Fortunately  for  us,  however,  professor,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant, with  a  smile,  *'  the  temperature  of  the  remotest 
space  never  descends  beyond  70°  below  zero." 

"  And  as  long  as  there  is  no  wind,"  added  Servadac, 
"  we  may  pass  comfortably  through  the  winter,  without  a 
single  attack  of  catarrh." 

Lieutenant  Procope  proceeded  to  impart  to  the  count 
his  anxiety  about  the  situation  of  his  yacht.  He  pointed 
out  that  by  the  constant  superposition  of  new  deposits  of 
ice,  the  vessel  would  be  elevated  to  a  great  height,  and 
consequently  in  the  event  of  a  thaw,  it  must  be  exposed 
to  a  calamity  similar  to  those  which  in  polar  seas  cause 
destruction  to  so  many  whalers. 

There  was  no  time  now  for  concerting  measures  off- 
hand to  prevent  the  disaster,  for  the  other  members  of  the 
party  had  already  reached  the  spot  where  the  Hansa  lay 
bound  in  her  icy  trammels.  A  flight  of  steps,  recently 
hewn  by  Hakkabut  himself,  gave  access  for  the  present  to 
the  gangway,  but  it  was  evident  that  some  different  con- 
trivance would  have  to  be  resorted  to  when  the  tartan 
should  be  elevated  perhaps  to  a  hundred  feet. 

A  thin  curl  of  blue  smoke  issued  from  the  copper 
funnel  that  projected  above  the  mass  of  snow  which  had 
accumulated  upon  the  deck  of  the  Hansa.  The  owner  was 
sparing  of  his  fuel,  and  it  was  only  the  non-conducting 
layer  of  ice  enveloping  the  tartan  that  rendered  the 
internal  temperature  endurable. 

"  Hi !  old  Nebuchadnezzar,  where  are  you  ?  "  shouted 
Ben  Zoof,  at  the  full  strength  of  his  lungs. 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice,  the  cabin  door  opened,  and 
the  Jew's  head  and  shoulders  protruded  on  to  the  deck. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MONEY  AT  A   PREMIUM. 

"Who's  there?     I  have  nothing-  here  for  any  one.     Go 

away ! "     Such  was  the  inhospitable  greeting  with  which 
Isaac  Hakkabut  received  his  visitors. 

"  Hakkabut !  do  you  take  us  for  thieves  ? "  asked 
Servadac,  in  tones  of  stern  displeasure. 

"  Oh,  your  Excellency,  my  lord,  I  did  not  know  that 
it  was  you,"  whined  the  Jew,  but  without  emerging  any 
farther  from  his  cabin. 

"  Now,  old  Habakkut,  come  out  of  your  shell !  Come 
and  show  the  governour  proper  respect,  when  he  gives  you 
the  honour  of  his  company,"  cried  Ben  Zoof,  who  by  this 
time  had  clambered  on  to  the  deck. 

After  considerable  hesitation,  but  still  keeping  his  hold 
upon  the  cabin-door,  the  Jew  made  up  his  mind  to  step 
outside. 

"What  do  you  want  ?  "  he  inquired,  timorously. 

"  I  want  a  word  with  you,"  said  Servadac,  "  but  I  do 
not  want  to  stand  talking  out  here  in  the  cold." 

Followed  by  the  rest  of  the  party,  he  proceeded  to 
mount  the  steps. 

The  Jew  trembled  from  head  to  foot. 

"But  I  cannot  let  you  into  my  cabin.  I  am  a  pool 
man  ;  I  have  nothing  to  give  you,"  he  moaned  pitcously. 

"  Here  he  is  ! "  laughed  Ben  Zoof,  contemptuously ; 
'  he  is  beginning  his  chapter  of  lamentations  over  again 


MONEY  AT  A   PREMIUM.  253 

But  standing  out  here  will  never  do.  Out  of  the  way,  old 
Hakkabut,  I  say  !  out  of  the  way!"  and,  without  rnore  ado, 
he  thrust  the  astonished  Jew  on  one  side  and  opened  the 
door  of  the  cabin. 

Servadac,  however,  declined  to  enter  until  he  had  taken 
the  pains  to  explain  to  the  owner  of  the  tartan  that  he  had 
no  intention  of  laying  violent  hands  upon  his  property, 
and  that  if  the  time  should  ever  come  that  his  cargo  was 
in  requisition  for  the  common  use,  he  should  receiv^e  a 
proper  price  for  his  goods,  the  same  as  he  would  in 
Europe. 

"  Europe,  indeed  ! "  muttered  the  Jew  maliciously  be- 
tween his  teeth.  "  European  prices  will  not  do  for  me. 
I  must  have  Gallian  prices — and  of  my  own  fixing,  too  !  " 

So  large  a  portion  of  the  vessel  had  been  appropriated 
to  the  cargo  that  the  space  reserved  for  the  cabin  was  of 
most  meagre  dimensions.  In  one  corner  of  the  compart- 
ment stood  a  small  iron  stove,  in  which  smouldered  a  bare 
handful  of  coals  ;  in  another  was  a  trestle-board  which 
served  as  a  bed ;  two  or  three  stools  and  a  rickety  deal 
table,  together  with  a  few  cooking  utensils,  completed  a 
stock  of  furniture  which  was  worthy  of  its  proprietor. 

On  entering  the  cabin,  Ben  Zoof  s  first  proceeding  was 
to  throw  on  the  fire  a  liberal  supply  of  coals,  utterly 
regardless  of  the  groans  of  poor  Isaac,  who  would  almost 
as  soon  have  parted  with  his  own  bones  as  submit  to  such 
reckless  expenditure  of  hh  fuel.  The  perishing  tempera- 
ture of  the  cabin,  however,  was  sufficient  justification  for 
the  orderly's  conduct,  and  by  a  little  skilful  manipulation 
he  soon  succeeded  in  getting  up  a  tolerable  fire. 

The  visitors  having  taken  what  seats  they  could,  Hak- 
kabut closed  the  door,  and,  like  a  prisoner  awaiting  his 
sentence,  stood  with  folded  hands,  expecting  the  captain 
to  speak. 

"Listen  to  me,"  said  Servadac  ;  "we  have  come  to  ask 
a  favour  of  you." 

Imagining  that  at  least  half  his  property  was  to  be 
confiscated,  the  Jew  began  to  break  out  into  his   usual 


^54  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

formula  about  being  a  poor  man  and  having  nothing  to 
spare ;  but  Servadac,  without  taking  any  heed  of  his  com- 
plainings, went  on  : 

"  We  are  not  going  to  ruin  you,  you  know." 

Hakkabut  looked  keenly  into  the  captain's  face. 

"  We  have  only  come  to  know  whether  you  can  lend  us 
a  steelyard." 

So  far  from  showing  any  symptom  of  relief,  the  old 
miser  exclaimed,  with  a  stare  of  astonishment,  as  if  he  had 
been  asked  for  the  loan  of  some  thousand  francs  : 

"  A  steelyard  .? " 

"  Yes  ! "  echoed  the  professor,  impatiently  ;  **  a  steel- 
yard." 

"  Have  you  not  one  ?  "  asked  Servadac 

"  To  be  sure  he  has ! "  said  Ben  Zoof 

Old  Isaac  stammered  and  stuttered,  but  at  last  con- 
fessed that  perhaps  there  might  be  one  amongst  the  stores. 

"  Then,  surely,  you  will  not  object  to  lend  it  to  us?"  said 
the  captain. 

"  Only  for  one  day,"  added  the  professor. 

The  Jew  stammered  again,  and  began  to  object. 

"  It  is  a  very  delicate  instrument,  your  Excellency. 
The  cold,  you  know,  the  cold  may  do  injury  to  the  spring  ; 
and  perhaps  you  are  going  to  use  it  to  weigh  something 
very  heavy." 

"Why,  old  Ephraim,  do  you  suppose  we  are  going  to 
weigh  a  mountain  with  it  ? "  said  Ben  Zoof 

"  Better  than  that ! "  cried  out  the  professor,  triumph- 
antly ;  "  we  are  going  to  weigh  Gallia  with  it  ;  my  comet." 

"  Merciful  Heaven !  "  shrieked  Isaac,  feigning  conster- 
nation at  the  bare  suggestion. 

Servadac  knew  well  enough  that  the  Jew  was  holding 
out  only  for  a  good  bargain,  and  assured  him  that  the 
steelyard  was  required  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  weigh 
a  kilogramme,  which  (considering  how  much  lighter  every- 
thing had  become)  could  not  possibly  put  the  slightest 
strain  upon  the  instrument. 

The  Jew  still  spluttered,  and  moaned,  and  hesitated. 


MONEY  AT  A   PREMIUM.  255 


"Well,  then,"  said  Servadac,  "if  you  do  not  like  to  lend 
us  your  steelyard,  do  you  object  to  sell  it  to  us  ?  " 

Isaac  fairly  shrieked  aloud. 

"  God  of  Israel !  "  he  ejaculated,  "  sell  my  steelyard  ? 
Would  you  deprive  me  of  one  of  the  most  indispensable 
of  my  means  of  livelihood  ?  How  should  I  weigh  my 
merchandise  without  my  steelyard — my  solitary  steelyard, 
so  delicate  and  so  correct  ? " 

The  orderly  wondered  how  his  master  could  refrain 
from  strangling  the  old  miser  upon  the  spot  ;  but  Servadac, 
rather  amused  than  otherwise,  determined  to  try  another 
form  of  persuasion. 

"  Come,  Hakkabut,  I  see  that  you  are  not  disposed 
either  to  lend  or  to  sell  your  steelyard.  What  do  you  say 
to  letting  us  hire  it  ?  " 

The  Jew's  eyes  twinkled  with  a  satisfaction  that  he  was 
unable  to  conceal. 

"  But  what  security  would  you  give  }  The  instrument 
is  very  valuable  ; "  and  he  looked  more  cunning  than  ever. 

"  What  is  it  worth  ?  If  it  is  worth  twenty  francs,  I 
will  leave  a  deposit  of  a  hundred.     Will  that  satisfy  you  ?" 

He  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"  It  is  very  little  ;  indeed,  it  is  too  little,  your  Excel- 
lency. Consider,  it  is  the  only  steelyard  in  all  this  new 
world  of  ours  ;  it  is  worth  more,  much  more.  If  I  take 
your  deposit  it  must  be  in  gold — all  gold.  But  how  much 
do  you  agree  to  give  me  for  the  hire — the  hire,  one  day  ?  " 

**  You  shall  have  twenty  francs,"  said  Servadac. 

"  Oh,  it  is  dirt  cheap ;  but  never  mind,  for  one  day,  you 
shall  have  it.  Deposit  in  gold  money  a  hundred  francs, 
and  twenty  francs  for  the  hire." 

The  old  man  folded  his  hands  in  meek  resignation. 

"  The  fellow  knows  how  to  make  a  good  bargain,"  said 
Servadac,  as  Isaac,  after  casting  a  distrustful  look  around, 
went  out  of  the  cabin. 

"  Detestable  old  wretch  ! "  replied  the  count,  full  of 
disgust 

Hardly  a  minute  elapsed   before  the    Jew  was  back 


256  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


again,  carrying  his  precious  steelyard  with  ostentatious 
care.  It  was  of  an  ordinary  kind.  A  spring  balance,  fitted 
with  a  hook,  held  the  article  to  be  weighed ;  a  pointer, 
revolving  on  a  disc,  indicated  the  weight  of  the  article. 
Professor  Rosette  was  manifestly  right  in  asserting  that 
such  a  machine  would  register  results  quite  independently 
of  any  change  in  the  force  of  attraction.  On  the  earth 
it  would  have  registered  a  kilogramme  as  a  kilogramme  ; 
here  it  recorded  a  different  value  altogether,  as  the  result 
of  the  altered  force  of  gravity. 

Gold  coinage  to  the  worth  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
francs  was  handed  over  to  the  Jew,  who  clutched  at  the 
money  with  unmistakable  eagerness.  The  steelyard  was 
committed  to  the  keeping  of  Ben  Zoof,  and  the  visitors 
prepared  to  quit  the  Hansa. 

All  at  once  it  occurred  to  the  professor  that  the  steel- 
yard would  be  absolutely  useless  to  him,  unless  he  had  the 
means  for  ascertaining  the  precise  measurement  of  the  unit 
of  the  soil  of  Gallia  which  he  proposed  to  weigh. 

"  Something  more  you  must  lend  me,"  he  said,  address- 
ing the  Jew. 

Hakkabut  started. 

"I  must  have  a  measure,  and  I  must  have  a  kilo- 
gramme." 

"  I  have  neither  of  them,"  answered  Isaac.  "  I  have 
neither  the  rule  nor  the  weight  I  am  sorry;  I  am  very 
sorry." 

And  this  time  the  old  Jew  spoke  the  truth.  He  would 
have  been  really  glad  to  do  another  stroke  or  two  of  busi- 
ness upon  terms  as  advantageous  as  the  transaction  he  had 
just  concluded. 

Palmyrin  Rosette  scratched  his  head  in  perplexity, 
glaring  round  upon  his  companions  as  if  they  were  per- 
sonally responsible  for  his  annoyance.  He  muttered  some- 
thing about  finding  a  way  out  of  his  difficulty,  and  hastily 
mounted  the  cabin-ladder.  The  rest  followed,  but  they 
had  hardly  reached  the  deck  when  the  chink  of  money  was 
heard  in  the  room  below.  Hakkabut  was  locking  away 
rne  eoid  in  one  of  the  drawers. 


MONEY  AT  A   PREMIUM.  25.7 


Back  again,  down  the  ladder,  scrambled  the  little  pro- 
fessor, and  before  the  Jew  was  aware  of  his  presence  he 
had  seized  him  by  the  tail  of  his  slouchy  overcoat. 

"  Some  of  your  money  !     I  must  have  some  money !  " 

he  said. 

"  Money  ! "  gasped  Hakkabut ;  "  I  have  no  money." 
He  was  pale  with  fright,  and  hardly  knew  what  he  was 

saying. 

"  Falsehood  I  "  roared  Rosette.  "  Do  you  think  I  cannot 

sec?" 

And  peering  down  into  the  drawer  which  the  Jew  was 
vainly  trying  to  close,  he  cried  : 

"  Heaps  of  money  !  French  money !  Five-franc  pieces  ! 
the  very  thing  I  want !     I  must  have  them  !  " 

The  captain  and  his  friends,  who  had  returned  to  the 
cabin,  looked  on  with  mingled  amusement  and  bewilder- 
ment. 

"  They  are  mine  !  "  shrieked  Hakkabut. 

"  I  will  have  them  ! "  shouted  the  professor 

"You  shall  kill  me  first ! "  bellowed  the  Jew. 

"  No,  but  I  must !  "  persisted  the  professor  again. 

It  was  manifestly  time  for  Servadac  to  interfere. 

"My  dear  professor,"  he  said,  smiling,  "allow  me  to 
settle  this  little  matter  for  you." 

"  Ah !  your  Excellency,"  moaned  the  agitated  Jew, 
"  protect  me  !     I  am  but  a  poor  man " 

"  None  of  that,  Hakkabut     Hold  your  tongue." 

And,  turning  to  Rosette,  the  captain  said  : 

"  If,  sir,  I  understand  right,  you  require  some  silver  five- 
franc  pieces  for  your  operation  ?  " 

"  Forty,"  said  Rosette,  surlily. 

"Two  hundred  francs!"  whined  Hakkabut. 

"  Silence  !  "  cried  the  captain. 

"  I  must  have  more  than  that,"  the  professor  continued. 
**  I  want  ten  two-franc  pieces,  and  twenty  half-francs." 

"Let  me  see,"  said  Servadac,  "  how  much  is  that  in  all  ? 
Two  hundred  and  thirty  francs,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  I  dare  say  it  is,"  answered  the  professor. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

GALLIA  WEIGHED. 

A  QUARTER  of  an  hour  later,  the  visitors  to  the  Hansa  had 
re-assembled  in  the  common  ha)|  of  Nina's  Hive. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  we  can  proceed,"  said  the  professor 
"  May  I  request  that  this  table  may  be  cleared  ?  " 

Ben  Zoof  removed  the  various  articles  that  were  lying 
on  the  table,  and  the  coins  which  had  been  just  been 
borrowed  from  the  Jew  were  placed  upon  it  in  three  piles, 
according  to  their  value. 

The  professor  commenced : 

"Since  none  of  you  gentlemen,  at  the  time  of  the  shock, 
took  the  precaution  to  save  either  a  metre  measure  or  a 
kilogramme  weight  from  the  earth,  and  since  both  these 
articles  are  necessary  for  the  calculation  on  which  we  are 
engaged,  I  have  been  obliged  to  devise  means  of  my  own 
to  replace  them." 

This  exordium  delivered,  he  paused  and  seemed  to 
watch  its  effect  upon  his  audience,  who,  however,  were  too 
well  acquainted  with  the  professor's  temper  to  make  any 
attempt  to  exonerate  themselves  from  the  rebuke  of  care- 
lessness, and  submitted  silently  to  the  implied  reproach. 

"  I  have  taken  pains,"  he  continued,  "  to  satisfy  myself 
that  these  coins  are  in  proper  condition  for  my  purpose. 
I  find  them  unworn  and  unchipped  ;  indeed,  they  are 
almost  new.   They  have  been  hoarded  instead  of  circulated; 


"  Here  we  have  tlie  measure  of  a  Metre  exactly." 


GALLIA  WEIGHED.  26 1 


accordingly,  they  are  fit  to  be  utilized  for  my  purpose  of 
obtaining  the  precise  length  of  a  terrestrial  metre."  * 

Ben  Zoof  looked  on  in  perplexity,  regarding  the 
lecturer  with  much  the  same  curiosity  as  he  would  have 
watched  the  performances  of  a  travelling  mountebank  at 
a  fair  in  Montmartre  ;  but  Servadac  and  his  two  friends 
had  already  divined  the  professor's  meaning.  They  knew 
that  French  coinage  is  all  decimal,  the  franc  being  the 
standard  of  which  the  other  coins,  whether  gold,  silver,  or 
copper,  are  multiples  or  measures;  they  knew,  too,  that  the 
calibre  or  diameter  of  each  piece  of  money  is  rigourously 
determined  by  law,  and  that  the  diameters  of  the  silver 
coins  representing  five  francs,  two  francs,  and  fifty  centimes 
measure  thirty-seven,  twenty-seven,  and  eighteen  milli- 
metres t  respectively  ;  and  they  accordingly  guessed  that 
Professor  Rosette  had  conceived  the  plan  of  placing  such 
a  number  of  these  coins  in  juxtaposition  that  the  length 
of  their  united  diameters  should  measure  exactly  the 
thousand  millimetres  that  make  up  the  terrestrial  metre. 

They  had  conjectured  rightly.  From  the  pile  of  forty 
five-franc  pieces.  Rosette  took  ten  and  spread  them  out 
lengthwise  in  a  row  upon  the  table ;  to  these  he  added 
the  ten  two-franc  pieces  and  the  twenty  fifty-centimes. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "here  we  have  the  measure 
of  a  metre  exactly." 

And,  taking  a  scrap  of  paper,  he  put  down  rapidly  a 
few  figures,  which  he  handed  round  for  general  inspection. 

The  little  calculation  was  simple  enough  : — 

lo  5-franc  pieces,  each  37  millimetres  in  diameter  =    '37  metre. 
102-franc  „  27  „  tf  =    '27      t, 

30  50-centime     tt         18         „  „         =    •36      „ 

Total      ...         ...     I'oo  metre. 

*•  I  understand  perfectly,"  said  Servadac,  when  he  had 
examined  the  paper  ;  "the  straight  line  drawn  through  the 
centres  of  these  coins  represents  a  terrestrial  metre." 

"  Precisely,"  replied  the  professor. 

•  A  metre  =  39'37i  inches.  f  A  millimetres  "03937  inches. 


262  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


"  Dear  me  ! "  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof,  in  astonishment, 
"  what  a  thing  it  is  to  be  learned  !  " 

"  Not  much  learning  wanted  for  that ! "  said  the  pro- 
fessor, shrugging  his  shoulders  contemptuously,  as  he 
made  his  marks  on  the  table  corresponding  to  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  line  of  money. 

The  measurement  thus  obtained  was  by  means  of  a 
pair  of  compasses  divided  accurately  into  ten  equal 
portions,  or  decimetres,  each  of  course  3 '93  inches  long. 
A  lath  was  then  cut  of  this  exact  length  and  given  to  the 
engineer  of  the  Dobryna^  who  was  directed  to  cut  out  of 
the  solid  rock  the  cubic  decimetre  required  by  the  pro- 
fessor. 

The  next  business  was  to  obtain  the  precise  weight  of 
a  kilogramme.  This  was  by  no  means  a  difficult  matter. 
Not  only  the  diameters,  but  also  the  weights,  of  the  French 
coins  are  rigidly  determined  by  law,  and  as  the  silver  five- 
franc  pieces  always  weigh  exactly  twenty-five  grammes,  the 
united  weight  of  forty  of  these  coins  is  known  to  amount 
to  one  kilogramme.* 

"  Oh ! "  cried  Ben  Zoof ;  "  to  be  able  to  do  all  this  I 
say  you  must  be  rich  as  well  as  learned." 

With  a  good-natured  laugh  at  the  orderly's  remark, 
the  meeting  adjourned  for  a  few  hours. 

By  the  appointed  time  the  engineer  had  finished  his 
task,  and  with  all  due  care  had  prepared  a  cubic  decimetre 
of  the  material  of  the  comet 


•♦  Appended  is  a  tahle  of  the  weights  of  various  French  coins  :— 
lu  gold  :  100  francs  weigh  32-25  grammes. 
50     „  „      I6-I2 


20     „  „      6*45 

10    „  „       3 '22 

In  silver:      5     „  »     25-00 


>* 

2  „  „  1000  », 

I  •>  M  500  »» 

•5  f.  ».  2-50  „ 

In  copper:     'i  »  »»  *°°°  »» 

10s  „  M  5*00  »• 

•02  „  „  2-00  M 

X3I  *•  ••  I'OO  M 


GALLIA  WEIGHED.  263 


**  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Professor  Rosette,  "  we  are  in 
a  position  to  complete  our  calculation  ;  we  can  now  arrive 
at  Gallia's  attraction,  density,  and  mass." 

Every  one  gave  him  their  complete  attention. 

"  Before  I  proceed,"  he  resumed,  "  I  must  recall  to  your 
minds  Newton's  general  law,  *  that  the  attraction  of  two 
bodies  is  directly  proportional  to  the  product  of  their 
masses,  and  inversely  proportional  to  the  square  of  their 
distances.' " 

"  Yes,"  said  Servadac  ;  "  we  remember  that." 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  the  professor,  "  keep  it  in 
mind  for  a  few  minutes  noAv.  Look  here  !  In  this  bag 
are  forty  five-franc  pieces — altogether  they  weigh  exactly  a 
kilogramme  ;  by  which  I  mean  that  if  we  were  on  the 
earth,  and  I  were  to  hang  the  bag  on  the  hook  of  the 
steelyard,  the  indicator  on  the  dial  would  register  one 
kilogramme.     This  is  clear  enough,  I  suppose  ?  *' 

As  he  spoke  the  professor  designedly  kept  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  Ben  Zoof.  He  was  avowedly  following  the 
example  of  Arago,  who  was  accustomed  always  in  lecturing 
to  watch  the  countenance  of  the  least  intelligent  of  his 
audience,  and  when  he  felt  that  he  had  made  his  meaning 
clear  to  him,  he  concluded  that  he  must  have  succeeded 
with  all  the  rest*  In  this  case,  however,  it  was  technical 
ignorance,  rather  than  any  lack  of  intelligence,  that  justi- 
fied the  selection  of  the  orderly  for  this  special  attention. 

Satisfied  with  his  scrutiny  of  Ben  Zoof's  face,  the 
professor  went  on : 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,  we  have  to  see  what  these  coins 
weigh  here  upon  Gallia." 

He  suspended  the  money-bag  to  the  hook ;  the 
needle  oscillated,  and  stopped. 

•  On  this  subject  an  amusing  anecdote  is  related  by  the  illustrious 
astronomer  himself.  One  day,  just  after  he  had  been  alluding  to  this  as  his 
usual  liabit,  a  young  man  entered  the  room,  and  feeling  sure  the  lecturer  knew 


you  never  take  your  eyes  off  me  from  the  beginning  to  the  end." 


264  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

'       '  .■      ■     .1.  —..I— I.. .      II.  —.-I.   ■■»i...       ■■  m  »w.   I     I    ,11.1  ,.  ,    11,   .  I  1     ^.-.,        ^j,. 

« Read  it  off!"  he  said. 

The  weight  registered  was  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  grammes. 

"  There,  gentlemen,  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
grammes!  Less  than  one-seventh  of  a  kilogramme! 
You  see,  consequently,  that  the  force  of  gravity  here 
on  Gallia  is  not  one-seventh  of  what  it  is  upon  the  earth  !  " 

"  Interesting  !  "  cried  Servadac,  "  most  interesting  ! 
But  let  us  go  on  and  compute  the  mass." 

"  No,  captain,  the  density  first,"  said  Rosette. 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  lieutenant ;  "  for,  as  we  already 
know  the  volume,  we  can  determine  the  mass  as  soon  as 
we  have  ascertained  the  density." 

The  professor  took  up  the  cube  of  rock. 

"  You  know  what  this  is,"  he  went  on  to  say.  "  You 
know,  gentlemen,  that  this  block  is  a  cube  hewn  from  the 
substance  of  which  everywhere,  all  throughout  your  voyage 
of  circumnavigation,  you  found  Gallia  to  be  composed — 
a  substance  to  which  your  geological  attainments  did  not 
suffice  to  assign  a  name." 

"  Our  curiosity  will  be  gratified,"  said  Servadac,  "  if 
you  will  enlighten  our  ignorance." 

But  Rosette  did  not  take  the  slightest  notice  of  the 
interruption. 

"  A  substance  it  is  which  no  doubt  constitutes  the  sole 
material  of  the  comet,  extending  from  its  surface  to  its 
innermost  depths.  The  probability  is  that  it  would  be 
so  ;  your  experience  confirms  that  probability :  you  have 
found  no  trace  of  any  other  substance.  Of  this  rock 
here  is  a  solid  decimetre ;  let  us  get  at  its  weight,  and  we 
*  shall  have  the  key  which  will  unlock  the  problem  of 
the  whole  weight  of  Gallia.  We  have  demonstrated  that 
the  force  of  attraction  here  is  only  one-seventh  of  what  it 
is  upon  the  earth,  and  shall  consequently  have  to  multiply 
the  apparent  weight  of  our  cube  by  seven,  in  order  to 
ascertain  its  proper  weight.  Do  you  understand  me, 
goggle-eyes  ? " 

This  was  addressed  to  Ben  Zoof,  who  was  staring  hard 
at  him. 


GALLIA  WEIGHED.  26$ 


"No!"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"  I  thought  not;  it  is  of  no  use  waiting  for  your  puzzle- 
brains  to  make  it  out.  I  must  talk  to  those  who  can 
understand." 

The  professor  took  the  cube,  and,  on  attaching  it  to  the 
hook  of  the  steelyard,  found  that  its  apparent  weight  was 
one  kilogramme  and  four  hundred  and  thirty  grammes. 

"  Here  it  is,  gentlemen  ;  one  kilogramme,  four  hundred 
and  thirty  grammes.  Multiply  that  by  seven  ;  the  product 
is,  as  nearly  as  possible,  ten  kilogrammes.  What,  there- 
fore, is  our  conclusion  .''  Why,  that  the  density  of  Gallia 
is  just  about  double  the  density  of  the  earth,  which  we 
know  is  only  five  kilogrammes  to  a  cubic  decimetre.  Had 
it  not  been  for  this  greater  density,  the  attraction  of  Gallia 
would  only  have  been  one-fifteenth  instead  of  one-seventh 
of  the  terrestrial  attraction." 

The  professor  could  not  refrain  from  exhibiting  his 
gratification  that,  however  inferior  in  volume,  in  density,  at 
least,  his  comet  had  the  advantage  over  the  earth. 

Nothing  further  now  remained  than  to  apply  the  in- 
vestigations thus  finished  to  the  determining  of  the  mass 
or  weight.     This  was  a  matter  of  little  labour. 

Since  a  cubic  decimetre  of  the  hard  substance  of  Gallia 
would  weigh  ten  kilogrammes  upon  the  earth,  Gallia  would 
weigh  as  many  times  ten  kilogrammes  as  there  were  cubic 
decimetres  in  its  volume.  This  volume  was  already  known 
to  be  211,432,460  cubic  kilometres  (/.if.,  47,880,000  cubic 
miles)  or  211,432,460  millions  of  millions  of  cubic  deci- 
metres— a  number  expressed  by  21  digits — and  these  would 
represent  the  number  of  kilogrammes  in  the  mass  of 
Gallia,  which  consequently  weighed  4,788,566,540  millions 
of  millions  of  kilogrammes  less  than  the  earth. 

"And  do  you  know  how  much  the  earth  weighs .?"  * 
inquired  Ben  Zoof,  almost  losing  his  breath  at  these 
stupendous  calculations. 

"  If  I  were  to  tell  you,  wiseacre,  I  do  not  suppose  you 


•  The  earth's  weight  is  estimated  at  6, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000,  cxxj  tons. 


266  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

would  be  much  the  wiser.     Have  you  any  idea  of  what  is 
meant  by  a  thousand  millions  ?  " 

"  Not  much,  I  confess,"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"Well,  then,  if  you  owed  a  thousand  million  francs, 
eighteen  or  nineteen  centuries  ago,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  era,  and  had  been  paying  a  franc  a  minute  ever 
since,  you  would  not  have  got  out  of  debt  yet." 

"  No,  that  I  shouldn't,"  answered  the  orderly ;  "  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  of  that  fun  would  have  ruined  me.  But 
really,"  he  added,  "  I  should  like  to  hear  how  much  the 
earth  weighs." 

"  Five  millions,  eight  hundred  and  seventy-five 
thousand  trillions  of  kilogrammes — a  number  which  is 
formed  of  twenty-six  figures,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope. 

"  And  the  moon  ?  " 

"  Seventy  thousand  trillions  of  kilogrammes." 

"And  the  sun  .''"  Ben  Zoof  went  on. 

"  Two  quintillions  of  kilogrammes — thirty-one  figures," 
answered  the  professor. 

"  Ay,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  "  I  dare  say  you  are  right  within 
a  quarter  of  a  gramme." 

The  professor  frowned  and  looked  angry,  but  the 
captain  diverted  him  by  making  a  remark  about  the 
diminished  force  of  gravity. 

"Yes,"  said  Rosette;  "our  muscular  force  is  seven  times 
as  great  as  it  was.  A  man  who  used  to  be  able  to  carry 
a  couple  of  hundred-weight  can  here  carry  fourteen." 

"  I  suppose  that  accounts  for  our  being  able  to  jump  so 
high,"  observed  Ben  Zoof. 

"  And  if  Gallia  had  been  lighter,  Ben  Zoof,  you  would 
have  been  able  to  jump  higher  still,"  the  lieutenant  said. 

"  Ay,  perhaps  even  over  Montmartre,"  added  the 
professor,  with  a  malicious  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

The  orderly  winced  under  the  retaliation. 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  what  is  tlie  force  of 
gravity  upon  the  various  planets  .-*  " 

"  You  can't  mean,  Servadac,  that  you  have  forgotten 
that  ?     But  you  always  were  a  disappointing  pupil." 


GALLIA   WEIGHED.  267 


The  captain  could  not  help  himself :  he  was  forced  to 
confess  that  his  memory  had  failed  him. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  professor,  "  I  must  remind  you. 
Taking  the  attraction  on  the  earth  as  i,  that  on  Mercury 
is  ri5;  on  Venus  it  is  -92,  on  Mars  -5,  and  on  Jupiter  2-45  ; 
on  the  moon  the  attraction  is  •16,  whilst  on  the  surface  of 
the  sun  a  terrestial  kilogramme  would  weigh  28  kilo- 
grammes." 

"  Therefore,  if  a  man  upon  the  surface  of  the  sun  were 
to  fall  down,  he  would  have  considerable  difficulty  in 
getting  up  again.  A  cannon-ball,  too,  would  only  fly  a  few 
yards,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope. 

"  A   jolly   battle-field   for   cowards ! "   exclaimed   Ben 

Zoof. 

"Not  so  jolly,  Ben  Zoof,  as  you  fancy,"  said  his  master; 
"  the  cowards  v/ould  be  too  heavy  to  run  away." 

Ben  Zoof  ventured  the  remark  that,  as  the  smallness 
of  Gallia  secured  to  its  inhabitants  such  an  increase  of 
strength  and  agility,  he  was  almost  sorry  thatvit  had  not 
been  a  little  smaller  still. 

"Though  it  could  not  anyhow  have  been  very  much 
smaller,"  he  added,  looking  slily  at  the  professor. 

"  Idiot !  "  exclaimed  Rosette.  "  Your  head  is  too  light 
already ;  a  puff  of  wind  would  blow  it  away." 

"  I  must  take  care  of  my  head,  then,  and  hold  it  on," 
replied  the  irrepressible  orderly. 

Unable  to  get  the  last  word,  the  professor  was  about 
to  retire,  when  Servadac  detained  him. 

"  Permit  me  to  ask  you  one  more  question,"  he  said. 
"Can  you  tell  me  what  is  the  nature  of  the  soil  of  Gallia.^" 

"  Yes,  I  can  answer  that.  And  in  this  matter  I  do  not 
think  your  impertinent  orderly  will  venture  to  put  Mont, 
martre  into  the  comparison.  This  soil  is  of  a  substance 
not  unknown  upon  the  earth."  And  speaking  very  slowly, 
the  professor  said  :  "  It  contains  70  per  cent  of  tellurium, 
and  30  per  cent,  of  gold." 

Servadac  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"And  the  sum  of  the  specific  gravities  of  these  two 


268 


HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


substances  is  lO,  precisely  the  number  that  represents 
Gallia's  density." 

"  A  comet  of  gold  !  "  ejaculated  the  captain. 

"  Yes  ;  a  realization  of  what  the  illustrious  Maupertuis 
has  already  deemed  probable,"  replied  the  astronomer. 

"  If  Gallia,  then,  should  ever  become  attached  to  the 
earth,  might  it  not  bring  about  an  important  revolution  in 
all  monetary  affairs  ?  "  inquired  the  count. 

"  No  doubt  about  it !  "  said  Rosette,  with  manifest 
satisfaction.  "It  would  supply  the  world  with  about 
246,000  trillions  of  francs." 

"It  would  make  gold  about  as  cheap  as  dirt,  I  suppose," 
said  Servadac. 

The  last  observation,  however,  was  entirely  lost  upon 
the  professor,  who  had  left  the  hall  with  an  air  almost 
majestic,  and  was  already  on  his  way  to  the  observatory, 

"And  what,  I  wonder,  is  the  use  of  all  these  big 
figures  ? "  said  Ben  Zoof  to  his  master,  when  next  they 
were  alone  together. 

**  That's  just  the  charm  of  them,  my  good  fellow,"  was 
the  captain's  cool  reply,  "that  they  are  of  no  use  what- 
ever," 


CHAPTER  IX. 

JUPITER  SOMEWHAT  CLOSE 

Except  as  to  the  time  the  comet  would  take  to  revolve 
round  the  sun,  it  must  be  confessed  that  all  the  professor's 
calculations  had  comparatively  little  interest  for  any  one 
but  himself,  and  he  was  consequently  left  very  much  to 
pursue  his  studies  in  solitude. 

The  following  day  was  the  ist  of  August,  or,  according 
to  Rosette,  the  63rd  of  April.  In  the  course  of  this  month 
Gallia  would  travel  16,500,000  leagues,  attaining  at  the 
end  a  distance  of  197,000,000  leagues  from  the  sun.  This 
would  leave  81,000,000  leagues  more  to  be  traversed  before 
reaching  the  aphelion  of  the  15th  of  January,  after  which 
it  would  begin  once  more  to  approach  the  sun. 

But  meanwhile,  a  marvellous  world,  never  before  so 
close  within  the  range  of  human  vision,  was  revealing 
itself.  No  wonder  that  Palmyrin  Rosette  cared  so  little 
to  quit  his  observatory ;  for  throughout  those  calm,  clear 
Gallian  nights,  when  the  book  of  the  firmament  lay  open 
before  him,  he  could  revel  in  a  spectacle  which  no  previous 
astronomer  had  ever  been  permitted  to  enjoy. 

The  glorious  orb  that  was  becoming  so  conspicuous 
an  object  was  none  other  than  the  planet  Jupiter,  the 
largest  of  all  the  bodies  existing  within  the  influence  of 
solar  attraction.  During  the  seven  months  that  had 
elapsed  since  its  collision  with  the  earth,  the  comet  had 
been  continuously  approaching  the  planet,  until  the  dis 


2/0  HECTOR    SERVADAC. 

tance  between  them  was  scarcely  more  than  6i,ooo,ooG 
leagues,  and  this  would  go  on  diminishing  until  the  1 5th 
of  October. 

Under  these  circumstances,  was  it  perfectly  certain  that 
no  danger  could  accrue  ?  Was  not  Gallia,  when  its  path- 
way led  it  into  such  close  proximity  to  this  enormous 
planet,  running  a  risk  of  being  attracted  within  its  in- 
fluence ?  Might  not  that  influence  be  altogether  dis- 
astrous ?  The  professor,  it  is  true,  in  his  estimate  of  the 
duration  of  his  comet's  revolution,  had  represented  that  he 
had  made  all  proper  allowances  for  any  perturbations  that 
would  be  caused  either  by  Jupiter,  by  Saturn,  or  by  Mars  ; 
but  what  if  there  were  any  errors  in  his  calculations  ? 
what  if  there  should  be  any  elements  of  disturbance  on 
which  he  had  not  reckoned  ? 

Speculations  of  this  kind  became  more  and  more  fre- 
quent, and  Lieutenant  Procope  pointed  out  that  the  danger 
incurred  might  be  of  a  fourfold  character :  first,  that  the 
comet,  being  irresistibly  attracted,  might  be  drawn  on  to 
the  very  surface  of  the  planet,  and  there  annihilated  ; 
secondly,  that  as  the  result  of  being  brought  under  that 
attraction,  it  might  be  transformed  into  a  satellite,  or 
rather  a  sub-satellite,  of  that  mighty  world  ;  thirdly,  that 
it  might  be  diverted  into  a  new  orbit,  which  would  never 
be  coincident  with  the  ecliptic  ;  or,  lastly,  its  course  might 
be  so  retarded  that  it  would  only  reach  the  ecliptic  too  late 
to  permit  any  junction  with  the  earth.  The  occurrence  of 
any  one  of  these  contingencies  would  be  fatal  to  their 
hopes  of  re-union  with  the  globe,  from  which  they  had  been 
so  strangely  severed. 

To  Rosette,  who,  without  family  ties  (which  he  had 
never  found  leisure  or  inclination  to  contract),  had  no 
shadow  of  desire  to  return  to  the  earth,  it  would  be  only 
the  first  of  these  probabilities  that  could  give  him  any 
concern.  Total  annihilation  might  not  accord  with  his 
views,  but  he  would  be  quite  content  for  Gallia  to  miss 
its  mark  with  regard  to  the  earth,  indifierent  whether 
it  revolved  as  a  new  satellite  around  Jupiter,  or  whether  it 


JUPITER   SOMEWHAT   CLOSK  271 


wended  its  course  through  the  untraversed  regions  of  the 
Milky  Way. 

The  rest  of  the  community,  however,  by  no  means 
sympathized  with  the  professor's  sentiments,  and  the 
following  month  was  a  period  of  considerable  doubt  and 
anxiety. 

On  the  1st  of  September  the  distance  between  Gallia 
and  Jupiter  was  precisely  the  same  as  the  mean  distance 
betM-een  the  earth  and  the  sun  ;  on  the  i6th,  the  distance 
was  further  reduced  to  26,000,000  leagues.  The  planet 
began  to  assume  enormous  dimensions,  and  it  almost 
seemed  as  if  the  comet  had  already  been  deflected  from 
its  elliptical  orbit,  and  was  rushing  on  in  a  straight  line 
towards  the  overwhelming  luminary. 

The  more  they  contemplated  the  character  of  this 
gigantic  planet,  the  more  they  became  impressed  with  the 
likelihood  of  a  serious  perturbation  in  their  own  course. 
The  diameter  of  Jupiter  is  85,390  miles,  nearly  eleven 
times  as  great  as  that  of  the  earth  ;  his  volume  is  1387 
times,  and  his  mass  300  times  greater ;  and  although  the 
mean  density  is  only  about  a  quarter  of  that  of  the  earth, 
and  only  a  third  of  that  of  water  (whence  it  has  been 
supposed  that  the  superficies  of  Jupiter  is  liquid),  yet  his 
other  proportions  were  large  enough  to  warrant  the  appre- 
hension that  important  disturbances  might  result  from  his 
proximity. 

**  I  forget  my  astronomy,  lieutenant,"  said  Servadac. 
**  Tell  me  all  you  can  about  this  formidable  neighbour." 

The  lieutenant  having  refreshed  his  memory  by  re- 
ference to  Flammarion 's  "  Recits  de  I'lnfini,"  of  which  he 
had  a  Russian  translation,  and  some  other  books,  pro- 
ceeded to  recapitulate  that  Jupiter  accomplishes  his  revo- 
lution round  the  sun  in  4332  days,  14  hours,  and  2  minutes; 
that  he  travels  at  the  rate  of  467  miles  a  minute  along  an 
orbit  measuring  2976  millions  of  miles  ;  and  that  his  rota- 
tion on  his  axis  occupies  only  9  hours  and  55  minutes. 

"  His  days,  then,  are  shorter  than  ours?"  interrupted 
the  captain. 


272  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


"  Considerably,"  answered  the  lieutenant,  who  went  on 
to  describe  how  the  displacement  of  a  point  at  the  equator 
of  Jupiter  was  twenty-seven  times  as  rapid  as  on  the  earth, 
causing  the  polar  compression  to  be  about  2378  miles; 
how  the  axis,  being  nearly  perpendicular,  caused  the  days 
and  nights  to  be  nearly  of  the  same  length,  and  the  seasons 
to  be  invariable  ;  and  how  the  amount  of  light  and  heat 
received  by  the  planet  is  only  a  twenty-fifth  part  of  that 
received  by  the  earth,  the  average  distance  from  the  sun 
being  475,693,000  miles. 

**  And  how  about  these  satellites  ?  Sometimes,  I  sup- 
i>ose,  Jupiter  has  the  benefit  of  four  moons  all  shining  at 
once  ?  "  asked  Servadac. 

Of  the  satellites.  Lieutenant  Procope  went  on  to  say 
that  one  is  rather  smaller  than  our  own  moon ;  that  another 
moves  round  its  primary  at  an  interval  about  equal  to  the 
moon's  distance  from  ourselves ;  but  that  they  all  revolve 
in  considerably  less  time  :  the  first  takes  only  i  day,  18  hrs,, 
27  min. ;  the  second  takes  3  days,  13  hrs.,  14  min.  ;  the 
third,  7  days,  3  hrs.,  42  min.  ;  whilst  the  largest  of  all  takes 
but  16  days,  16  hrs.,  32  min.  The  most  remote  revolves 
round  the  planet  at  a  distance  of  1,192,820  miles. 

"  They  have  been  enlisted  into  the  service  of  science," 
said  Procope.  "  It  is  by  their  movements  that  the  velocity 
of  light  has  been  calculated  ;  and  they  have  been  made 
available  for  the  determination  of  terrestrial  longitudes." 

"  It  must  be  a  wonderful  sight,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Procope.  "  I  often  think  Jupiter  is 
like  a  prodigious  clock  with  four  hands." 

"  I  only  hope  that  we  are  not  destined  to  make  a  fifth 
hand,"  answered  Servadac. 

Such  was  the  style  of  the  conversation  that  was  day 
by  day  reiterated  during  the  whole  month  of  suspense. 
Whatever  topic  might  be  started,  it  seemed  soon  to  settle 
down  upon  the  huge  orb  that  was  looming  upon  them  with 
such  threatening  aspect. 

Amongst  other  subjects  that  were  started,  the  ages  of 
the  various  planets  were  discussed. 


JUPITER  SOMEWHAT  CLOSE.  2/3 

"  Let  me  read  to  you,"  said  Lieutenant  Procope,  "  a  few 
lines  from  Flammarion." 

And  commencing  at  a  passage  he  had  marked,  he 
began  : 

"  The  more  remote  that  these  planets  are  from  the  sun, 
the  more  venerable  and  advanced  in  formation  are  they 
found  to  be.  Neptune,  situated  2,746,271,000  miles  from 
the  sun,  issued  from  the  solar  nebulosity,  thousands  of 
millions  of  centuries  back.  Uranus,  revolving  1,753,851,000 
miles  from  the  centre  of  the  planetary  system,  is  of  an  age 
amounting  to  many  hundred  millions  of  centuries.  Jupiter, 
the  colossal  planet,  gravitating  at  a  distance  of  475,693,000 
miles,  may  be  reckoned  as  70,000,000  centuries  old. 
Mars  has  existed  for  1,000,000,000  years  at  a  distance  of 
139,212,000  miles.  The  earth,  91,430,000  miles  from  the 
sun,  quitted  his  burning  bosom  100,000,000  years  ago. 
Venus,  revolving  now  66,131,000  miles  away,  may  be 
assigned  the  age  of  50,000,000  years  at  least ;  and  Mercury, 
nearest  of  all,  and  youngest  of  all,  has  been  revolving  at 
a  distance  of  35,393,000  miles  for  the  space  of  10,000,000 
years — the  same  time  as  the  moon  has  been  evolved  from 
the  earth." 

Servadac  listened  attentively.  He  was  at  a  loss  what 
to  say ;  and  the  only  reply  he  made  to  the  recital  of  this 
novel  theory  was  to  the  effect  that,  if  it  were  true,  he 
would  prefer  being  captured  by  Mercury  than  by  Jupiter, 
for  Mercury,  being  so  much  the  younger,  would  probably 
prove  the  less  imperative  and  self-willed  master. 

It  was  on  the  ist  of  September  that  the  comet  had 
crossed'  the  orbit  of  Jupiter,  and  on  the  ist  of  October 
the  two  bodies  were  calculated  to  be  at  their  minimum 
separation.  No  direct  shock,  however,  could  be  appre- 
hended ;  the  demonstration  was  sufficiently  complete  that 
the  orbit  of  Gallia  did  not  coincide  with  that  of  the  planet, 
the  orbit  of  Jupiter  being  inclined  at  an  angle  of  1°  19' 
to  the  orbit  of  the  earth,  with  which  that  of  Gallia  was,  no 
doubt,  coincident. 

As  the  month  of  September  verged  toward<5  its  close, 


274  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

Jupiter  began  to  wear  an  aspect  that  must  have  excited 
the  admiration  of  the  most  ignorant  or  the  most  indifferent 
observer.  Its  salient  points  were  illumined  with  novel  and 
radiant  tints,  and  the  solar  rays,  reflected  from  its  disc, 
glowed  with  a  mingled  softness  and  intensity  upon  Gallia, 
so  that  Nerina  had  to  pale  her  beauty. 

Who  could  wonder  that  Rosette,  enthusiast  as  he  was, 
should  be  irremovable  from  his  observatory  }  Who  could 
expect  otherwise  than  that,  with  the  prospect  before  him  of 
viewing  the  giant  among  planets,  ten  times  nearer  than 
any  mortal  eye  had  ever  done,  he  should  have  begrudged 
every  moment  that  distracted  his  attention  ? 

Meanwhile,  as  Jupiter  grew  large,  the  sun  grew  small. 

From  its  increased  remoteness  the  diameter  of  the 
sun's  disc  was  diminished  to  5'  46". 

And  what  an  increased  interest  began  to  be  associated 
with  the  satellites  !  They  were  visible  to  the  naked  eye  ! 
Was  it  not  a  new  record  in  the  annals  of  science  .-* 

Although  it  is  acknowledged  that  they  are  not  ordi- 
narily visible  on  earth  without  the  aid  of  a  somewhat 
powerful  telescope,  it  has  been  asserted  that  a  favoured 
few,  endued  with  extraordinary  powers  of  vision,  have 
been  able  to  identify  them  with  an  unassisted  eye  ;  but 
here,  at  least,  in  Nina's  Hive  were  many  rivals,  for  every 
one  could  so  far  distinguish  them  one  from  the  other  as  to 
describe  them  by  their  colours.  The  first  was  of  a  dull 
white  shade ;  the  second  was  blue  ;  the  third  was  white 
and  brilliant ;  the  fourth  was  orange,  at  times  approaching 
to  a  red. 

It  was  further  observed  that  Jupiter  itself  was  almost 
void  of  scintillation. 

Rosette,  in  his  absorbing  interest  for  the  glowing 
glories  of  the  planet,  seemed  to  be  beguiled  into  com- 
parative forgetfulness  of  the  charms  of  his  comet ;  but  no 
astronomical  enthusiasm  of  the  professor  could  quite  allay 
the  general  apprehension  that  some  serious  collision  might 
be  impending. 

Time  passed  on.     There  was  nothing  to  justify  appre- 


JUPITER   SOMEWHAT   CLOSE.  2/5 

hension.     The    question    was    continually    being    asked, 
"  What  does  the  professor  really  think  ?  " 

"  Our  friend  the  professor,"  said  Servadac,  "  is  not 
likely  to  tell  us  very  much  ;  but  we  may  feel  pretty  certain 
of  one  thing :  he  wouldn't  keep  us  long  in  the  dark,  if  he 
thought  we  were  not  going  back  to  the  earth  again.  The 
greatest  satisfaction  he  could  have  would  be  to  inform  us 
that  we  had  parted  from  the  earth  for  ever." 

"  I  trust  from  my  very  soul,"  said  the  count,  "  that  his 
prognostications  are  correct." 

"The  more  I  see  of  him,  and  the  more  I  listen  to  him," 
replied  Servadac,  "the  more  I  become  convinced  that  his 
calculations  are  based  on  a  solid  foundation,  and  will  prove 
correct  to  the  minutest  particular." 

Ben  Zoof  here  interrupted  the  conversation. 

"  I  have  something  on  my  mind,"  he  said. 

"  Something  on  your  mind  .?  Out  with  it !  "  said  the 
captain. 

"  That  telescope  !  "  said  the  orderly  ;  "  it  strikes  me 
that  that  telescope  which  the  old  professor  keeps  pointed  up 
at  yonder  big  sun  is  bringing  it  down  straightupon  us." 

The  captain  laughed  heartily. 

"  Laugh,  captain,  if  you  like ;  but  I  feel  disposed  to 
break  the  old  telescope  into  atoms." 

"  Ben  Zoof,"  said  Servadac,  his  laughter  exchanged  for 
a  look  of  stern  displeasure,  "  touch  that  telescope,  and 
you  shall  swing  for  it !" 

The  orderly  looked  astonished. 

"  I  am  governour  here,"  said  Servadac. 

Ben  Zoof  knew  what  his  master  meant,  and  to  him  his 
master's  wish  was  law. 

The  interval  between  the  comet  and  Jupiter  was,  by  the 
1st  of  October,  reduced  to  43,000,000  miles — about  twice 
the  distance  of  the  moon  from  the  earth.  Now,  if  Jupiter 
were,  with  regard 'to  the  earth,  to  change  places  with  the 
moon,  it  is  the  indisputable  attestation  of  science  that 
its  disc  would  be  full  thirty-four  times  larger  than  the 
moon's  ;  it  is  consequently  easy  to  imagine  what  was  the 


276  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

wondrous  brilliancy  of  Jupiter  when  surveyed  in  the  same 
proximity. 

The  belts  all  parallel  to  Jupiter's  equator  were  very 
distinct  in  their  markings.  Those  immediately  north  and 
south  of  the  equator  were  of  a  dusky  hue ;  those  toward 
the  poles  were  alternately  dark  and  light  ;  the  intervening 
spaces  of  the  planet's  superficies,  between  edge  and  edge, 
being  intensely  bright.  The  belts  themselves  were  occa- 
sionally broken  by  spots,  which  the  records  of  astronomy 
describe  as  varying  both  in  form  and  in  extent. 

The  physiology  of  belts  and  spots  alike  was  beyond  the 
astronomer's  power  to  ascertain ;  and  even  if  he  should  be 
destined  once  again  to  take  his  place  in  an  astronomical 
congress  on  the  earth,  he  would  be  just  as  incapable  as 
ever  of  determining  whether  or  no  they  owed  their  exist- 
ence to  the  external  accumulation  of  vapour,  or  to  some 
internal  agency.  It  would  not  be  Professor  Rosette's  lot 
to  enlighten  his  brother  savattts  to  any  great  degree  as  to 
the  mysteries  that  are  associated  with  this,  which  must 
ever  rank  as  one  of  the  most  magnificent  amongst  the 
heavenly  orbs. 

As  the  comet  approached  the  critical  point  of  its  career 
Jt  cannot  be  denied  that  there  was  an  unacknowledged 
consciousness  of  alarm.  Mutually  reserved,  though  ever 
courteous,  the  count  and  the  captain  were  secretly  drawn 
together  by  the  prospect  of  a  common  danger  ;  and  as 
their  return  to  the  earth  appeared  to  them  to  become  more 
and  more  dubious,  they  abandoned  their  views  of  narrow 
isolation,  and  tried  to  embrace  the  wider  philosophy  that 
acknowledges  the  credibility  of  a  habitable  universe. 

But  no  philosophy  could  be  proof  against  the  common 
instincts  of  their  humanity  ;  their  hearts,  their  hopes,  were 
set  upon  their  natural  home  ;  no  speculation,  no  science, 
no  experience,  could  induce  them  to  give  up  their  fond  and 
sanguine  anticipation  that  once  again  they  were  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  earth. 

"  Only  let  us  escape  Jupiter,"  said  Lieutenant  Procop^ 
repeatedly,  and  we  are  free  from  anxiety." 


JUPITER   SOMEWHAT   CLOSE.  2"]'/ 

"  But  would  not  Saturn  lie  ahead  ? "  asked  Servadac 
and  the  count  in  one  breath. 

"  No  !  "  said  Procope  ;  "  the  orbit  of  Saturn  is  remote, 
and  does  not  come  athwart  our  path.  Jupiter  is  our  sole 
hindrance.  Of  Jupiter  we  must  say,  as  William  Tell 
said : — 

*  Once  through  the  ominous  pass 
And  all  is  well.* 

The  15th  of  October  came,  the  date  of  the  nearest 
approximation  of  the  comet  to  the  planet.  They  were 
only  31,000,000  miles  apart.  What  would  now  transpire? 
Would  Gallia  be  diverted  from  its  proper  way  }  or  would 
it  hold  the  course  that  the  astronomer  had  predicted  .<* 

Early  next  morning  the  captain  ventured  to  take  the 
count  and  the  lieutenant  up  to  the  observatory. 

The  professor  was  in  the  worst  of  tempers. 

That  was  enough.  It  was  enough,  without  a  word,  to 
indicate  the  course  which  events  had  taken. 

The  comet  was  pursuing  an  unaltered  way. 

The  astronomer,  correct  in  his  prognostications,  ought 
to  have  been  the  most  proud  and  contented  of  philoso- 
phers ;  his  pride  and  contentment  were  both  overshadowed 
by  the  certainty  that  the  career  of  his  comet  was  destined 
to  be  so  transient,  and  that  it  must  inevitably  once  agais 
come  into  collision  with  the  earth. 


CHAPTER    X. 

MARKET  PRICES   IN  GALLIA. 

"  All  right !  "  said  Servadac,  convinced  by  the  professor's 
ill  humour  that  the  danger  was  past ;  "  no  doubt  we  are 
in  for  a  two  years'  excursion,  but  fifteen  months  more  will 
take  us  back  to  the  earth  !  " 

"  And  we  shall  see  Montmartre  again ! "  exclaimed  Ben 
Zoof,  in  tones  that  betrayed  his  delight  in  the  anticipation. 

To  use  a  nautical  expression,  they  had  safely  "  rounded 
the  point,"  and  they  had  to  be  congratulated  on  their 
successful  navigation  ;  for  if,  under  the  influence  of  Jupiter's 
attraction,  the  comet  had  been  retarded  for  a  single  hour, 
in  that  hour  the  earth  would  have  already  travelled 
2,500,000  miles  from  the  point  where  contact  would  ensue, 
and  many  centuries  would  elapse  before  such  a  coincidence 
would  possibly  again  occur. 

On  the  1st  of  November  Gallia  and  Jupiter  were 
40,000,000  miles  apart.  It  was  little  more  than  ten  weeks 
to  the  15th  of  January,  when  the  comet  would  begin  to 
re-approach  the  sun.  Though  light  and  heat  were  now 
reduced  to  a  twenty-fifth  part  of  their  terrestrial  intensity, 
so  that  a  perpetual  twilight  seemed  to  have  settled  over 
Gallia,  yet  the  population  felt  cheered  even  by  the  little 
that  was  left,  and  buoyed  up  by  the  hope  that  they  should 
ultimately  regain  their  proper  position  with  regard  to  the 
great  luminary,  of  which  the  temperature  has  been  esti- 
mated as  not  less  than  5,000,000  degrees. 


I 


MARKET  PRICES  IN   GALLIA.  2/9 

Of  the  anxiety  endured  during  the  last  two  months 
Isaac  Hakkabut  had  known  nothing.  Since  the  day  he 
had  done  his  lucky  stroke  of  business  he  had  never  left  the 
tartan  ;  and  after  Ben  Zoof,  on  the  following  day,  had  re- 
turned the  steelyard  and  the  borrowed  cash,  receiving  back 
the  paper  roubles  deposited,  all  communication  between  the 
Jew  and  Nina's  Hive  had  ceased.  In  the  course  of  the 
few  minutes'  conversation  which  Ben  Zoof  had  held  with 
him,  he  had  mentioned  that  he  knew  that  the  whole  soil 
of  Gallia  was  made  of  gold  ;  but  the  old  man,  guessing 
that  the  orderly  was  only  laughing  at  him  as  usual,  paid 
no  attention  to  the  remark,  and  only  meditated  upon  the 
means  he  could  devise  to  get  every  bit  of  the  money  in  the 
new  world  into  his  own  possession. 

No  one  grieved  over  the  life  of  solitude  which  Hakka- 
but persisted  in  leading.  Ben  Zoof  giggled  heartily,  as  he 
repeatedly  observed  "  it  was  astonishing  how  they  recon- 
ciled themselves  to  his  absence." 

The  time  came,  however,  when  various  circumstances 
prompted  him  to  think  he  must  renew  his  intercourse  with 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Hive.  Some  of  his  goods  were 
beginning  to  spoil,  and  he  felt  the  necessity  of  turning 
them  into  money,  if  he  would  not  be  a  loser ;  he  hoped, 
moreover,  that  the  scarcity  of  his  commodities  would 
secure  very  high  prices. 

It  happened,  just  about  this  same  time,  that  Ben  Zoof 
had  been  calling  his  master's  attention  to  the  fact  that 
some  of  their  most  necessary  provisions  would  soon  be 
running  short,  and  that  their  stock  of  coffee,  sugar,  and 
tobacco  would  want  replenishing.  Servadac's  mind,  of 
course,  turned  to  the  cargo  on  board  the  Hansa,  and  he 
resolved,  according  to  his  promise,  to  apply  to  the  Jew 
and  become  a  purchaser. 

Mutual  interest  and  necessity  thus  conspired  to  draw 
Hakkabut  and  the  captain  together. 

Often  and  often  had  Isaac  gloated  in  his  solitude  over 
the  prospect  of  first  selling  a  portion  of  his  merchandise 
for  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  colony.  His  recent  usurious 


280  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

transaction  had  whetted  his  appetite.  He  would  next  part 
with  some  more  of  his  cargo  for  all  the  paper-money  they 
could  give  him  ;  but  still  he  should  have  goods  left,  and 
they  would  want  these.  Yes,  they  should  have  these  too 
for  promissory  notes.  Notes  would  hold  good  when  they 
got  back  again  to  the  earth  ;  bills  from  his  Excellency  the 
"*  governour  would  be  good  bills  ;  anyhow  there  would  be  the 
sheriff  By  the  God  of  Israel !  he  would  get  good  prices, 
and  he  would  get  fine  interest ! 

Although  he  did  not  know  it,  he  was  proposing  to 
follow  the  practice  of  the  Gauls  of  old,  who  advanced 
money  on  bills  for  payment  in  a  future  life.  Hakkabut's 
"  future  life,"  however,  was  not  many  months  in  advance 
of  the  present. 

Still  Hakkabut  hesitated  to  make  the  first  advance,  and 
it  was  accordingly  with  much  satisfaction  that  he  hailed 
Captain  Servadac's  appearance  on  board  the  Hansa. 

"  Hakkabut,"  said  the  captain,  plunging  without  further 
preface  into  business,  "  we  want  some  coffee,  some  tobacco, 
and  other  things.  I  have  come  to-day  to  order  them,  to 
settle  the  price,  and  to-morrow  Ben  Zoof  shall  fetch  the 
goods  away." 

"Merciful  heavens!"  the  Jew  began  to  whine;  but 
Servadac  cut  him  short. 

"  None  of  that  miserable  howling !  Business  !  I  am 
come  to  buy  your  goods.     I  shall  pay  for  them." 

"Ah  yes,  your  Excellency,"  whispered  the  Jew,  his 
voice  trembling  like  a  street  beggar.  "  Don't  impose  on 
me.     I  am  poor ;  I  am  nearly  ruined  already." 

*  Cease  your  wretched  whining.  I  say !  "  cried  Ser- 
vadac. "  I  have  told  you  once,  I  shall  pay  for  all  1 
buy." 

"  Ready  money  ?  "  asked  Hakkabut. 

*'  Yes,  ready  money.  What  makes  you  ask  .-* "  said  the 
captain,  curious  to  hear  what  the  Jew  would  say. 

"  Well,  you  see — you  see,  your  Excellency,"  stammered 
out  the  Jew,  "  to  give  credit  to  one  wouldn't  do,  unless  I 
gave  credit  to  another.     You  are  solvent — I  mean  honour 


MARKET   PRICES   IN    GALLIA.  28 1 

able,  and  his  lordship  the  count  is  honourable  ;  but  maybe 
— maybe " 

"  Well  ? "  said  Servadac,  waiting,  but  inclined  to  kick 
the  old  rascal  out  of  his  sight. 

"  I  shouldn't  like  to  give  credit,"  he  repeated. 

"  I  have  not  asked  you  for  credit.  I  have  told  you, 
you  shall  have  ready  money." 

"  Very  good,  your  Excellency.  But  how  will  you  pay 
me  ? " 

"  Pay  yon  ?  Why,  we  shall  pay  you  in  gold  and  silver 
and  copper,  while  our  money  lasts,  and  when  that  is  gone 
we  shall  pay  you  in  bank-notes." 

"  Oh,  no  paper,  no  paper ! "  groaned  out  the  Jew,  re- 
lapsing into  his  accustomed  whine. 

"  Nonsense,  man  !  "  cried  Servadac. 

"  No  paper  !  "  reiterated  Hakkabut. 

"  Why  not  .-*  Surely  you  can  trust  the  banks  of  Eng- 
land, France,  and  Russia." 

"  Ah  no  !   I  must  have  gold.    Nothing  so  safe  as  gold." 

"Well  then,"  said  the  captain,  not  wanting  to  lose  his 
temper,  "  you  shall  have  it  your  own  way  ;  we  have  plenty 
of  gold  for  the  present  We  will  leave  the  bank-notes  for 
by-and-by." 

The  Jew's  countenance  brightened,  and  Servadac,  re- 
peating that  he  should  come  again  the  next  day,  was  about 
to  quit  the  vessel. 

"  One  moment,  your  Excellency,"  said  Hakkabut, 
sidling  up  with  a  hypocritical  smile;  "  I  suppose  I  am  to 
fix  my  own  prices." 

"You  will,  of  course,  charge  ordinary  prices — proper 
market-prices  ;  European  prices,  I  mean." 

"  Merciful  heavens ! "  shrieked  the  old  man,  "  you 
rob  me  of  my  rights  ;  you  defraud  me  of  my  privilege. 
The  monopoly  of  the  market  belongs  to  me.  It  is  the 
custom  ;  it  is  my  right  ;  it  is  my  privilege  to  fix  my  own 
prices." 

Servadac  made  him  understand  that  he  had  no  inten 
tion  of  swerving  from  his  decision. 


283  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


**  Merciful  heavens  !"  again  howled  the  Jew,  "  it  is  sheer 
ruin.  The  time  of  monopoly  is  the  time  for  profit ;  it  ia 
the  time  for  speculation." 

"  The  very  thing,  Hakkabut,  that  I  am  anxious  to 
prevent.  Just  stop  now,  and  think  a  minute.  You  seem 
to  forget  iny  rights ;  you  are  forgetting  that,  if  I  please,  I 
can  confiscate  all  your  cargo  for  the  common  use.  You 
ought  to  think  yourself  lucky  in  getting  any  price  at  all. 
Be  contented  with  European  prices  ;  you  will  get  no  more. 
However,  I  am  not  going  to  waste  my  breath  on  you.  I 
will  come  again  to-morrow ; "  and,  without  allowing  Hak- 
kabut time  to  renew  his  lamentations,  Servadac  went 
away. 

All  the  rest  of  the  day  the  Jew  was  muttering  bitter 
curses  against  the  thieves  of  Gentiles  in  general,  and  the 
Governour  of  Gallia  in  particular,  who  Avere  robbing  him  of 
his  just  profits,  by  binding  him  down  to  a  maximum  price 
for  his  goods,  just  as  if  it  were  a  time  of  revolution  in  the 
state.  But  he  would  be  even  with  them  yet ;  he  would 
have  it  all  out  of  them  :  he  would  make  European  prices 
pay,  after  all.  He  had  a  plan — he  knew  how ;  and  he 
chuckled  to  himself,  and  grinned  maliciously. 

True  to  his  word,  the  captain  next  morning  arrived  at 
the  tartan.  He  was  accompanied  by  Ben  Zoof  and  two 
Russian  sailors. 

"  Good  morning,  old  Eleazar ;  we  have  come  to  do  our 
little  bit  of  friendly  business  with  you,  you  know,"  was  Ben 
Zoof  s  greeting. 

"  What  do  you  want  to-day  } "  asked  the  Jew. 

"  To-day  we  want  coffee,  and  we  want  sugar,  and  we 
want  tobacco.  We  must  have  ten  kilogrammes  of  each. 
Take  care  they  are  all  good  ;  all  first-rate.  I  am  com- 
missariat officer,  and  I  am  responsible." 

"  I  thought  you  were  the  governour's  aide-de-camp," 
said  Hakkabut. 

"  So  I  am,  on  state  occasions ;  but  to-day,  I  tell  you, 
I  am  superintendent  of  the  commissariat  department  Now. 
look  sharp  ! " 


MARKET  PRICES  IN   GALLIA.  283 


Hakkabut  hereupon  descended  into  the  hold  of  the 
tartan,  and  soon  returned,  carrying  ten  packets  of  tobacco, 
each  weighing  one  kilogramme,  and  securely  fastened  by 
strips  of  paper,  labelled  with  the  French  Government  stamp. 

"  Ten  kilogrammes  of  tobacco  at  twelve  francs  a  kilo- 
gramme :  a  hundred  and  twenty  francs,"  said  the  Jew. 

Ben  Zoof  was  on  the  point  of  laying  down  the  money, 
when  Servadac  stopped  him. 

"  Let  us  just  see  whether  the  weight  is  correct" 

Hakkabut  pointed  out  that  the  weight  was  duly 
registered  on  every  packet,  and  that  the  packets  had  never 
been  unfastened. 

The  captain,  however,  had  his  own  special  object  in 
view,  and  would  not  be  diverted. 

The  Jew  fetched  his  steelyard,  and  a  packet  of  the 
tobacco  was  suspended  to  it. 

"  Merciful  heavens  !  "  screamed  Isaac. 

The  index  registered  only  133  grammes! 

"You  see,  Hakkabut,  I  was  right.  I  was  prifectly 
justified  in  having  your  goods  put  to  the  test,"  said  Serva- 
dac, quite  seriously. 

«  But— but,  your  Excellency "  stammered  out  the 

bewildered  man. 

"  You  will,  of  course,  make  up  the  defi^ciency,"  the 
captain  continued,  not  noticing  the  interruption. 

"  Oh,  my  lord,  let  me  say "  began  Isaac  again. 

"  Come,  come,  old  Caiaphas,  do  you  hear  ?  You  are  to 
make  up  the  deficiency,"  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof. 

"  Ah,  yes,  yes ;  but " 

The  unfortunate  Israelite  tried  hard  to  speak,  but  his 
agitation  prevented  him.  He  understood  well  enough  the 
cause  of  the  phenomenon,  but  he  was  overpowered  by  the 
conviction  that  the  "cursed  Gentiles"  wanted  to  cheat  him. 
He  deeply  regretted  that  he  had  not  a  pair  of  common 
scales  on  board. 

"  Come,  I  say,  old  Jedediah,  you  are  a  long  while 
making  up  what's  short,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  while  the  Jew  was 
still  stammering  on. 


284  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

As  soon  as  he  recovered  his  power  of  articulation,  Isaac 
began  to  pour  out  a  medley  of  lamentations  and  petitions 
for  mercy. 

The  captain  was  inexorable. 

"  Very  sorry,  you  know,  Hakkabut.  It  is  not  my  fault 
that  the  packet  is  short  weight ;  but  I  cannot  pay  for  a 
kilogramme  except  I  have  a  kilogramme." 

Hakkabut  pleaded  for  some  consideration. 

"  A  bargain  is  a  bargain,"  said  Servadac.  "  You  must 
complete  your  contract." 

And,  moaning  and  groaning,  the  miserable  man  was 
driven  to  make  up  the  full  weight  as  registered  by  his  own 
steelyard.  He  had  to  repeat  the  process  with  the  sugar 
and  coffee  :  for  every  kilogramme  he  had  to  weigh  seven. 
Ben  Zoof  and  the  Russians  jeered  him  most  unmercifully. 

"  I  say,  old  Mordecai,  wouldn't  you  rather  give  your 
goods  away,  than  sell  them  at  this  rate  .-•     I  would" 

"  ]  flay,  old  Pilate,  a  monopoly  isn't  always  a  good 
thing,  in  it  ?  " 

"  I  say,  old  Sepharvaim,  what  a  flourishing  trade  you're 
driving ! " 

Meanwhile  seventy  kilogrammes  of  each  of  the  articles 
required  were  weighed,  and  the  Jew  for  each  seventy  had 
to  take  the  price  of  ten. 

All  along  Captain  Servadac  had  been  acting  only  in  jest. 
Aware  that  old  Isaac  was  an  utter  hypocrite,  he  had  no 
compunction  in  turning  a  business  transaction  with  him 
into  an  occasion  for  a  bit  of  fun.  But  the  joke  at  an  end, 
he  took  care  that  the  Jew  was  properly  paid  all  his  legiti- 
mate due. 

The  party  then  quitted  the  Hansa  ;  Ben  Zoof,  who  was 
in  the  highest  spirits,  on  his  way  to  the  Hive  singing  in  a 
stentorian  voice  the  chorus  of  an  old  military  song  : — 

*' Right  joyous  to  the  warrior's  ear, 
The  clarion-trumpet  bright  and  clear  } 
But  joyous  too,  yea,  welcome  more, 
The  music  of  the  cannon's  roar  !  " 


CHAPTER  XI. 

FAR  INTO  SPACE. 

A  MONTH  passed  away.  Gallia  continued  its  course,  bear- 
ing its  little  population  onwards,  so  far  removed  from  the 
ordinary  influence  of  human  passions  that  it  might  almost 
be  said  that  its  sole  ostensible  vice  was  represented  by  the 
greed  and  avarice  of  the  miserable  Jew. 

After  all,  they  were  but  making  a  voyage — a  strange,  yet 
a  transient,  excursion  through  solar  regions  hitherto  un- 
traversed  ;  but  if  the  professor's  calculations  were  correct — 
and  why  should  they  be  doubted  ? — their  little  vessel  was 
destined,  after  a  two  years'  absence,  once  more  to  return 
"to  port."  The  landing,  indeed,  might  be  a  matter  of 
difficulty ;  but  with  the  good  prospect  before  them  of  once 
again  standing  on  terrestrial  shores,  they  had  nothing  tc 
do  at  present  except  to  make  themselves  as  comfortable 
as  they  could  in  their  present  quarters. 

Thus  confident  in  their  anticipations,  neither  the  cap- 
tain, the  count,  nor  the  lieutenant  felt  under  any  serious 
obligation  to  make  any  extensive  provisions  for  the  future ; 
they  saw  no  necessity  for  expending  the  strength  of  the 
people,  during  the  short  summer  that  would  intervene  upon 
the  long  severity  of  winter,  in  the  cultivation  or  the  preser- 
vation of  their  agricultural  resources.  Nevertheless,  they 
often  found  themselves  talking  over  the  measures  they 
would  have  been  driven  to  adopt,  if  they  had  found  them- 
selves permanently  attached  to  their  present  home. 


286  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


Even  after  the  turning-point  in  their  career,  they  knew 
that  at  least  nine  months  would  have  to  elapse  before  the 
sea  would  be  open  to  navigation ;  but  at  the  very  first 
arrival  of  summer  they  would  be  bound  to  arrange  for  the 
Dobryna  and  the  Hansa  to  re-transport  themselves  and  a  1 
their  animals  to  the  shores  of  Gourbi  Island,  where  they 
would  have  to  commence  their  agricultural  labours  to 
secure  the  crops  that  must  form  their  winter  store.  During 
four  months  or  thereabouts,  they  would  lead  the  lives  ol 
farmers  and  of  sportsmen  ;  but  no  sooner  would  their  hay- 
making and  their  corn  harvest  have  been  accomplished, 
than  they  would  be  compelled  again,  like  a  swarm  of  bees, 
to  retire  to  their  semi-troglodyte  existence  in  the  cells  of 
Nina's  Hive. 

Now  and  then  the  captain  and  his  friends  found  them- 
selves speculating  whether,  in  the  event  of  their  having  to 
spend  another  winter  upon  Gallia,  some  means  could  not 
be  devised  by  which  the  dreariness  of  a  second  residence 
in  the  recesses  of  the  volcano  might  be  escaped.  Would 
not  another  exploring  expedition  possibly  result  in  the 
discovery  of  a  vein  of  coal  or  other  combustible  matter, 
which  could  be  turned  to  account  in  warming  some 
erection  which  they  might  hope  to  put  up .-'  A  prolongecf 
existence  in  their  underground  quarters  was  felt  to  be 
monotonous  and  depressing,  and  although  it  might  be  all 
very  well  for  a  man  like  Professor  Rosette,  absorbed  in 
astronomical  studies,  it  was  ill  suited  to  the  temperaments 
of  any  of  themselves  for  any  longer  period  than  was 
absolutely  indispensable. 

One  contingency  there  was,  almost  too  terrible  to  be 
taken  into  account.  Was  it  not  to  be  expected  that  the 
time  might  come  when  the  internal  fires  of  Gallia  would 
lose  their  activity,  and  the  stream  of  lava  would  conse- 
quently cease  to  flow  .■•  Why  should  Gallia  be  exempt  from 
the  destiny  that  seemed  to  await  every  other  heavenly 
body }  Why  should  it  not  roll  onwards,  like  the  moon,  a 
dark  cold  mass  in  space  } 

In    the   event    of    such   a  cessation    of    the   volcanic 


FAR  INTO  SPACE.  28; 


eruption,  whilst  the  comet  was  still  at  so  great  a  distance 
from  the  sun,  they  would  indeed  be  at  a  loss  to  find  a 
substitute  for  what  alone  had  served  to  render  life  endur- 
able at  a  temperature  of  60*^  below  zero.  Happily,  how- 
ever, there  was  at  present  no  symptom  of  the  subsidence 
of  the  lava's  stream  ;  the  volcano  continued  its  regular  and 
unchanging  discharge,  and  Servadac,  ever  sanguine,  de- 
clared that  it  was  useless  to  give  themselves  any  anxiety 
upon  the  matter. 

On  the  15  th  of  December,  Gallia  was  276,000,000 
leagues  from  the  sun,  and,  as  it  was  approximating  to  the 
extremity  of  its  axis  major,  would  travel  only  some 
11,000,000  or  12,000,000  leagues  during  the  month. 
Another  world  was  now  becoming  a  conspicuous  object  in 
the  heavens,  and  Palmyrin  Rosette,  after  rejoicing  in  an 
approach  nearer  to  Jupiter  than  any  other  mortal  man  had 
ever  attained,  was  now  to  be  privileged  to  enjoy  a  similar 
opportunity  of  contemplating  the  planet  Saturn.  Not  that 
the  circumstances  were  altogether  so  favourable.  Scarcely 
31,000,000  miles  had  separated  Gallia  from  Jupiter;  the 
minimum  distance  of  Saturn  would  not  be  less  than 
415,000,000  miles;  but  even  this  distance,  although  too 
great  to  affect  the  comet's  progress  more  than  had  been 
duly  reckoned  on,  was  considerably  shorter  than  what  had 
ever  separated  Saturn  from  the  earth. 

To  get  any  information  about  the  planet  from  Rosette 
appeared  quite  impossible.  Although  equally  by  night 
and  by  day  he  never  seemed  to  quit  his  telescope,  he  did 
not  evince  the  slightest  inclination  to  impart  the  result  of 
his  observations.  It  was  only  from  the  few  astronomical 
works  that  happened  to  be  included  in  the  Dobrynds 
library  that  any  details  could  be  gathered,  but  these  were 
sufficient  to  give  a  large  amount  of  interesting  information. 

Ben  Zoof,  when  he  was  made  aware  that  the  earth 
would  be  invisible  to  the  naked  eye  from  the  surface  of 
Saturn,  declared  that  he  then,  for  his  part,  did  not  care  to 
learn  any  more  about  such  a  planet ;  to  him  it  was  indis- 
pensable that  the  earth  should  remain  in  sight,  and  it  was 


288  HECTOR   SERVADAC 


his  great  consolation  that  hitherto  his  native  sphere  had 
never  vanished  from  his  gaze. 

At  this  date  Saturn  was  revolving  at  a  distance  of 
420,000,000  miles  from  Gallia,  and  consequently  874,440,000 
miles  from  the  sun,  receiving  only  a  hundredth  part  of 
the  light  and  heat  which  that  luminary  bestows  upon 
the  earth.  On  consulting  their  books  of  reference,  the 
colonists  found  that  Saturn  completes  his  revolution  round 
the  sun  in  a  period  of  29  years  and  167  days,  travelling  at 
the  rate  of  more  than  21,000  miles  an  hour  along  an  orbit 
measuring  5490  millions  of  miles  in  length.  His  circum- 
ference is  about  220,000  miles ;  his  superficies,  144,000 
millions  of  square  miles ;  his  volume,  143,846  millions  of 
cubic  miles.  Saturn  is  735  times  larger  than  the  earth, 
consequently  he  is  smaller  than  Jupiter  ;  in  mass  he  is 
only  90  times  greater  than  the  earth,  which  gives  him  a 
density  less  than  that  of  water.  He  revolves  on  his  axis 
in  10  hours  29  minutes,  causing  his  own  year  to  consist  of 
86,630  days;  and  his  seasons,  on  account  of  the  great 
inclination  of  his  axis  to  the  plane  of  his  orbit,  are  each  of 
the  length  of  seven  terrestrial  years. 

Although  the  light  received  from  the  sun  is  compara- 
tively feeble,  the  nights  upon  Saturn  must  be  splendid. 
Eight  satellites — Mimas,  Enceladus,  Tethys,  Dione,  Rhea, 
Titan,  Hyperion,  and  Japetus — accompany  the  planet ; 
Mimas,  the  nearest  to  its  primary,  rotating  on  its  axis  in 
22^-  hours,  and  revolving  at  a  distance  of  only  120,800 
miles,  whilst  Japetus,  the  most  remote,  occupies  79  days  in 
its  rotation,  and  revolves  at  a  distance  of  2,314,000  miles. 

Another  most  important  contribution  to  the  n-^^gnifi- 
cence  of  the  nights  upon  Saturn  is  the  triple  ring  with 
which,  as  a  brillian<-  setting,  the  planet  is  encompassed. 
To  an  observer  at  the  equator,  this  ring,  which  has  been 
estimated  by  Sir  Willliam  Herschel  as  scarcely  100  miles 
in  thickness,  must  have  the  appearance  of  a  narrow  band 
of  light  passing  through  the  zenith  1 2,000  miles  above  hi* 
head.  As  the  observer,  however,  increases  his  latitude 
either  north  or  south,  the  band  will  gradually  widen  out 


FAR  INTO  SPACE.  289 


into  three  detached  and  concentric  rings,  of  which  the 
innermost,  dark  though  transparent,  is  9625  miles  in 
breadth ;  the  intermediate  one,  which  is  brighter  than  the 
planet  itself,  being  17,605  miles  broad ;  and  the  outer,  of  a 
dusky  hue,  being  8660  miles  broad. 

Such,  they  read,  is  the  general  outline  of  this  strange 
appendage,  which  revolves  in  its  own  plane  in  10  hours 
32  minutes.  Of  what  matter  it  is  composed,  and  how  it 
resists  disintegration,  is  still  an  unsettled  question  ;  but  it 
might  almost  seem  that  the  Designer  of  the  universe,  in 
permitting  its  existence,  had  been  willing  to  impart  to  His 
intelligent  creatures  the  manner  in  which  celestial  bodies  are 
evolved,  and  that  this  remarkable  ring-system  is  a  remnant 
of  the  nebula  from  which  Saturn  was  himself  developed, 
and  which,  from  some  unknown  cause,  has  become  solidified. 
If  at  any  time  it  should  disperse,  it  would  either  fall  into 
fragments  upon  the  surface  of  Saturn,  or  the  fragments, 
mutually  coalescing,  would  form  additional  satellites  to 
circle  round  the  planet  in  its  path. 

To  any  observer  stationed  on  the  planet,  between  the 
extremes  of  lat.  45''  on  either  side  of  the  equator,  these 
wonderful  rings  would  present  various  strange  phenomena. 
Sometimes  they  would  appear  as  an  illuminated  arch,  with 
the  shadow  of  Saturn  passing  over  it  like  the  hour-hand 
over  a  dial ;  at  other  times  they  would  be  like  a  semi- 
aureole  of  light.  Very  often,  too,  for  periods  of  several 
years,  daily  eclipses  of  the  sun  must  occur  through  the 
interposition  of  this  triple  ring. 

Truly,  with  the  constant  rising  and  setting  of  the 
satellites,  some  with  bright  discs  at  their  full,  others  like 
silver  crescents,  in  quadrature,  as  well  as  by  the  encircling 
rings,  the  aspect  of  the  heavens  from  the  surface  of  Saturn 
must  be  as  impressive  as  it  is  gorgeous. 

Unable,  indeed,  the  Gallians  were  to  realize  all  the 
marvels  of  this  strange  world.  After  all,  they  were  prac- 
tically a  thousand  times  further  off  than  the  great  astrono- 
mers have  been  iible  to  approach  by  means  of  their  giant 
telescopes.     But  they  did  not  complain  ;  their  little  comet, 


290  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

they  knew,  was  far  safer  where  it  was  ;  far  better  out  oi 
the  reach  of  an  attraction  which,  by  affecting  their  path, 
might  have  annihilated  their  best  hopes. 

Wliile  thus  they  failed  to  attain  to  any  great  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  glories  of  Saturn,  still  less  did  they 
penetrate  into  any  of  the  mysteries  of  the  more  distant 
world  of  Uranus,  although  that  planet,  which  from  the 
earth  appears  only  as  a  star  of  the  sixth  magnitude,  did 
become  visible  to  their  naked  eye.  Yet  as  to  the  satellites 
which  accompany  him  on  his  revolution  of  84  years,  at  a 
distance  of  1,753,851,000  miles  from  the  sun,  it  must  be 
owned  that  not  one  of  them  was  ever  to  be  discerned. 

With  regard  to  Neptune,  the  most  distant  planet  of  our 
system  (until  an  Adams  or  Le  Verrier  of  the  future  shall 
discover  another  still  more  remote),  he  was  beyond  the 
range  of  vision.  Possibly  he  came  within  the  focus  of  the 
professor's  telescope,  but  if  so,  the  professor  admitted  no 
one  to  the  honour  of  his  confidence.  The  general  com- 
munity, to  inform  themselves  of  any  particulars  as  to  the 
planet's  elements,  had  once  again  to  fall  back  upon  their 
books.  There  they  read  that  Neptune's  mean  distance 
from  the  sun  is  2,746,271,000  miles  ;  that  the  period  of  his 
revolution  is  165  years ;  that,  a  spheroid  150  times  greater 
than  the  earth,  he  travels  along  his  gigantic  orbit  at  the 
rate  of  12,000  miles  an  hour;  and  that  he  is  accompanied 
by  one  satellite,  which  performs  its  subsidiary  orbit  at  a 
distance  of  about  220,000  miles. 

The  distance  of  2,000,000,000  of  miles  at  which  Nep- 
tune revolves,  represents,  according  to  our  present  know- 
ledge, the  extreme  limits  of  the  solar  system  ;  yet,  enormous 
as  that  number  may  sound,  it  is  quite  insignincant  when 
compared  with  the  number  which  represents  the  radiu?  of 
the  sidereal  group  to  which  our  sun  is  attached. 

The  sun,  in  fact,  appears  to  form  part  of  the  expansive 
nebula  known  as  the  Milky  Way,  in  which  he  occupies  the 
modest  place  of  a  star  of  about  the  fourth  magnitude. 
Had  Gallia  been  projected  beyond  the  limits  of  the  sun's 
attraction,  it  is  within  the  province  of  imagination  to  con- 


Sometimes  they  would  appear  as  an  Illuminated  Arch,  with  the  Shadow 
of  Saturn  passing  over  it. 


FAR  INTO  SPACE.  29I 


jecture  that  she  would  have  taken  for  her  new  centre  the 
nearest  of  the  fixed  stars.  This  star  is  Alpha  in  the  con- 
stellation Centaur ;  its  distance  from  the  sun  is  more  than 
16  millions  of  millions  of  miles,  a  number  the  prodigious- 
ness  of  which  may  be  realized  to  a  certain  degree  by  the 
statement  that  light,  which  travels  at  the  rate  of  186,000 
miles  a  second,  would  occupy  no  less  than  three  years 
and  u  half  in  traversing  the  interval  between  the  star  and 
our  sun. 

The  distances  of  several  of  the  brightest  of  the  fixed 
stars  have  been  estimated.  Amongst  others,  Vega  in  the 
constellation  Lyra  is  100  millions  of  millions  of  miles 
away  ;  Sirius  in  Canis  Major,  123  millions  of  millions  ;  the 
Pole-star,  282  millions  of  millions ;  and  Capella,  340 
millions  of  millions  of  miles,  a  figure  represented  by  no 
less  than  fifteen  digits. 

The  hard  numerical  statement  of  these  enormous 
figures,  however,  fails  altogether  in  any  adequate  way  to 
convey  a  due  impression  of  the  magnitude  of  these  dis- 
tances. Astronomers,  in  their  ingenuity,  have  endeavoured 
to  use  some  other  basis,  and  have  found  "  the  velocity  of 
light "  to  be  convenient  for  their  purpose.  They  have 
made  their  representations  something  in  this  way : — 

"Suppose,"  they  say,  "an  observer  endowed  with  an 
infinite  length  of  vision  :  suppose  him  stationed  on  the 
surface  of  Capella ;  looking  thence  towards  the  earth,  he 
would  be  a  spectator  of  events  that  had  happened  seventy 
years  previously :  transport  him  to  a  star  ten  times  dis- 
tant, and  he  will  be  reviewing  the  terrestrial  sphere  of  720 
years  back :  carry  him  away  further  still,  to  a  star  so 
remote  that  it  requires  something  less  than  nineteen 
centuries  for  light  to  reach  it,  and  he  would  be  a  witness  of 
the  birth  and  death  of  Christ :  convey  him  further  again, 
and  he  shall  be  looking  upon  the  dread  desolation  of  the 
Deluge :  take  him  away  further  yet  (for  space  is  infinite), 
and  he  shall  be  a  spectator  of  the  Creation  of  the  spheres. 
History  is  thus  stereotyped  in  space ;  nothing  once  accom* 
plished  can  ever  be  effaced." 


292  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

Who  can  altogether  be  astonished  that  Palmyrin 
Rosette,  with  his  burning  thirst  for  astronomical  research, 
should  have  been  conscious  of  a  longing  for  yet  wider 
travel  through  the  sidereal  universe  ?  With  his  comet 
now  under  the  influence  of  one  star,  now  of  another,  what 
various  systems  might  he  not  have  explored  !  what  un- 
dreamt-of marvels  might  not  have  revealed  themselves 
before  his  gaze!  The  stars,  fixed  and  immovable  in  name, 
are  all  of  them  in  motion,  and  Gallia  might  have  followed 
them  in  their  untracked  way. 

This  motion  of  the  fixed  stars  is  really  very  rapid 
Arcturus  is  travelling  at  the  rate  of  at  least  fifty-four  miles 
a  second  ;  our  sun  is  approaching  Hercules  at  the  rate 
of  240  miles  a  minute ;  and  yet  so  great  is  the  distance 
that  observers  on  the  earth  have  hitherto  been  unable  to 
discern  any  appreciable  difference. 

Still,  eventually,  because  the  stars  are  thus  moving  at 
unequal  rates  of  velocity,  there  must  ensue  a  change  in 
their  relative  positions  ;  and  astronomers  have  produced 
diagrams  representing  the  appearance  they  will  present 
some  50,000  years  hence.  In  these  diagrams  the  irregular 
quajdrilateral  of  Ursa  Major  takes  the  form  of  a  long  cross, 
and  the  pentagon  of  Orion  has  resolved  itself  into  a 
quadrilateral. 

But  even  if  Gallia  had  been  transported  to  other 
systems,  it  would  not  have  been  competent  to  Palmyrin 
Rosette  to  view  these  "secular  inequalities"  of  the 
spheres  ;  the  contemplation,  however,  of  other  marvels, 
exceeding  what  the  solar  system  has  to  offer,  would  more 
than  sufficiently  have  ravished  his  view.  He  would  have 
seen  for  himself  that  other  planetary  groups  are  not 
always  governed  by  a  single  sun,  but  that  occasionally  two, 
three,  four,  or  even  six  suns  will  revolve  about  each  other 
with  reciprocal  influence.  He  would  have  found,  too,  in 
these  compound  systems,  suns  of  various  hue — red,  yellow, 
green,  orange,  purple,  and  white — lighting  up  their  planets 
with  rays  of  glorious  colouring ;  one  sun  perhaps  setting 
in  clearest  green,  another  rising  in  resplendent  crimson,  01 


FAR  INTO  SPACE.  293 


in  dazzling  yellow ;  at  times  two  suns  together  mingling 
the  tints  of  their  varied  beams  ;  and  perpetually,  day  after 
day,  the  whole  horizon  decked  with  all  the  colours  of  the 
rainbow. 

But  Gallia  had  a  narrow  destiny.  She  was  not  to  be 
allowed  to  wander  away  into  the  range  of  attraction  of 
another  centre  ;  nor  to  mingle  with  the  star  clusters,  some 
of  which  have  been  entirely,  others  partially  resolved  ;  nor 
was  she  to  lose  herself  amongst  the  5000  nebulae  which 
have  resisted  hitherto  the  grasp  of  the  most  powerful 
reflectors.  No  ;  Gallia  was  neither  to  pass  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  solar  system,  nor  to  travel  out  of  sight  of  the 
terrestrial  sphere.  Her  orbit  was  circumscribed  to  little 
over  1500  millions  of  miles;  and,  in  comparison  with  the 
infinite  space  beyond,  this  was  a  mere  nothing. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

A  FfiTE  DAY. 

The  temperature  continued   to   increase ;  the  mercurial 

thermometer,  which  freezes  at  42°  below  zero,  was  no 
longer  of  service,  and  the  spirit  thermometer  of  the  Dobryna 
had  been  brought  into  use.  This  now  registered  53°  below 
freezing  point. 

In  the  creek,  where  the  two  vessels  had  been  moored 
for  the  winter,  the  elevation  of  the  ice,  in  anticipation  of 
which  Lieutenant  Procope  had  taken  the  precautionary 
measure  of  bevelling,  was  going  on  slowly  but  irresistibly, 
and  the  tartan  was  upheaved  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Gallian  Sea,  while  the  schooner,  as  being  lighter,  had 
been  raised  to  a  still  greater  altitude. 

So  irresistible  was  this  gradual  process  of  elevation,  so 
utterly  defying  all  human  power  to  arrest,  that  the  lieu- 
tenant began  to  feel  very  anxious  as  to  the  safety  of  his 
yacht.  With  the  exception  of  the  engine  and  the  masts, 
everything  had  been  cleared  out  and  conveyed  to  shore, 
but  in  the  event  of  a  thaw  it  appeared  that  nothing  short 
of  a  miracle  could  prevent  the  hull  from  being  dashed  to 
pieces,  and  then  all  means  of  leaving  the  promontory 
would  be  gone.  The  Hansa,  of  course,  would  share  a 
similar  fate  ;  in  fact,  it  had  already  heeled  over  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  render  it  quite  dangerous  for  its  obstinate 
owner,  who,  at  the  peril  of  his  life,  resolved  that  he  would 
stay  where  he  could  watch  over  his   all -precious   cargo, 


A  FtxE  DAY.  295 


though  continually  invoking  curses  on  the  ill-fate  of  which 
he  deemed  himself  the  victim. 

There  was,  however,  a  stronger  will  than  Isaac  Hakka- 
but's.  Although  no  one  of  all  the  community  cared  at  all 
for  the  safety  of  the  Jew,  they  cared  very  much  for  the 
security  of  his  cargo,  and  when  Servadac  found  that 
nothing  would  induce  the  old  man  to  abandon  his  present 
quarters  voluntarily,  he  very  soon  adopted  measures  of 
coercion  that  were  far  more  effectual  than  any  representa- 
tions of  personal  danger. 

"  Stop  where  you  like,  Hakkabut,"  said  the  captain  to 
him  ;  **  but  understand  that  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  make 
sure  that  your  cargo  is  taken  care  of  I  am  going  to  have 
it  carried  across  to  land,  at  once." 

Neither  groans,  nor  tears,  nor  protestations  on  the  part 
of  the  Jew,  were  of  the  slightest  avail.  Forthwith,  on  the 
20th  of  December,  the  removal  of  the  goods  commenced. 

Both  Spaniards  and  Russians  were  all  occupied  for 
several  days  in  the  work  of  unlading  the  tartan.  Well 
muffled  up  as  they  were  in  furs,  they  were  able  to  endure 
the  cold  with  impunity,  making  it  their  special  care  to 
avoid  actual  contact  with  any  article  made  of  metal,  which, 
in  the  low  state  of  the  temperature,  would  inevitably 
have  taken  all  the  skin  off  their  hands,  as  much  as  if  it 
had  been  red-hot.  The  task,  however,  was  brought  to 
an  end  without  accident  of  any  kind;  and  when  the  stores 
of  the  Hansa  were  safely  deposited  in  the  galleries  of  the 
Hive,  Lieutenant  Procope  avowed  that  he  really  felt  that 
his  mind  had  been  unburdened  from  a  great  anxiety. 

Captain  Servadac  gave  old  Isaac  full  permission  to 
take  up  his  residence  amongst  the  rest  of  the  community, 
promised  him  the  entire  control  over  his  own  property, 
and  altogether  showed  him  so  much  consideration  that, 
but  for  his  unbounded  respect  for  his  master,  Ben  Zoof 
would  have  liked  to  reprimand  him  for  his  courtesy  to  a 
man  whom  he  so  cordially  despised. 

Although  Hakkabut  clamoured  most  vehemently  about 
his  goods  being  carried  off  "  against  his  will,"  in  his  heart 


296  HECTOR  SJtKVADAC. 


he  was  more  than  satisfied  to  see  his  property  transferred 
to  a  place  of  safety,  and  delighted,  moreover,  to  know  that 
the  transport  had  been  effected  without  a  farthing  ol 
expense  to  himself  As  soon,  then,  as  he  found  the  tartan 
empty,  he  was  only  too  glad  to  accept  the  offer  that  had 
been  made  him,  and  very  soon  made  his  way  over  to 
the  quarters  in  the  gallery  where  his  merchandise  had 
been  stored.  Here  he  lived  day  and  night.  He  supplied 
himself  with  what  little  food  he  required  from  his  own 
stock  of  provisions,  a  small  spirit-lamp  sufficing  to  perform 
all  the  operations  of  his  meagre  cookery.  Consequently 
all  intercourse  between  himself  and  the  rest  of  the  in- 
habitants was  entirely  confined  to  business  transactions, 
when  occasion  required  that  some  purchase  should  be 
made  from  his  stock  of  commodities.  Meanwhile,  all  the 
silver  and  gold  of  the  colony  was  gradually  finding  its  way 
to  a  double-locked  drawer,  of  which  the  Jew  most  carefully 
guarded  the  key. 

The  T<?t  of  January  was  drawing  near,  the  anniversary 
of  the  shock  which  had  resulted  in  the  severance  of  thirty- 
six  human  beings  from  the  society  of  their  fellow-men. 
Hitherto,  not  one  of  them  was  missing.  The  unvarying 
calmness  of  the  climate,  notwithstanding  the  cold,  had 
tended  to  maintain  them  in  good  health,  and  there  seemed 
no  reason  to  doubt  that,  when  Gallia  returned  to  the 
earth,  the  total  of  its  little  population  would  still  be 
complete. 

The  1st  of  January,  it  is  true,  was  not  properly  "  New 
Year's  Day  "  in  Gallia,  but  Captain  Servadac,  nevertheless, 
was  very  anxious  to  have  it  observed  as  a  holiday. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  he  said  to  Count  Timascheff  and 
Lieutenant  Procope,  "  that  we  ought  to  allow  our  people 
to  lose  their  interest  in  the  world  to  which  we  are  all  hoping 
to  return  ;  and  how  can  we  cement  the  bond  that  ought 
to  unite  us,  better  than  by  celebrating,  in  common  with  our 
fellow-creatures  upon  earth,  a  day  that  awakens  afresh  the 
kindliest  sentiments  of  all  ?  Besides,"  he  added,  smiling, 
"  I  expect  that  Gallia,  although  invisible  just  at  present  tc 


A  FfiTE  DAY.  297 


the  naked  eye,  is  being  closely  watched  by  the  telescopes 
of  our  terrestrial  friends,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
newspapers  and  scientific  journals  of  both  hemispheres  are 
full  of  accounts  detailing  the  movements  of  the  new  comet." 

"  True,"  asserted  the  count.  "  I  can  quite  imagine 
that  we  are  occasioning  no  small  excitement  in  all  the 
chief  observatories." 

"  Ay,  more  than  that,"  said  the  lieutenant ;  "  our 
Gallia  is  certain  to  be  far  more  than  a  mere  object  of 
scientific  interest  or  curiosity.  Why  should  we  doubt  that 
the  elements  of  a  comet  which  has  once  come  into  collision 
with  the  earth  have  by  this  time  been  accurately  calcu- 
lated ?  What  our  friend  the  professor  has  done  here,  has 
been  done  likewise  on  the  earth,  where,  beyond  a  question, 
all  manner  of  expedients  are  being  discussed  as  to  the 
best  way  of  mitigating  the  violence  of  a  concussion  that 
must  occur." 

The  lieutenant's  conjectures  were  so  reasonable  that 
they  commanded  assent.  Gallia  could  scarcely  be  other- 
wise than  an  object  of  terror  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  who  could  by  no  means  be  certain  that  a  second 
collision  would  be  comparatively  so  harmless  at  the  first. 
Even  to  the  Gallians  themselves,  much  as  they  looked 
forward  to  the  event,  the  prospect  was  not  unmixed  with 
alarm,  and  they  would  rejoice  in  the  invention  of  any 
device  by  which  it  was  likely  the  impetus  of  the  shock 
might  be  deadened. 

It  was  premature,  however,  for  concern  of  this  sort. 
Come  what  might,  the  1st  of  January  should  be  celebrated 
as  a  fete  day,  the  Russians  professing  themselves  quite 
willing  to  accept  the  date  as  observed  by  the  Frenchmen 
and  Spaniards.* 

Christmas  arrived,  and  was  marked  by  appropriate 
religious  observance  by  every  one  in  the  community,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Jew,  who  made  a  point  of  secluding 


•  There  is  a  difference  of  eleven  days  between  the  Frendi  and  Rnssiai 
calendars. 


298  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

himself  more  obstinately  than  ever  in  the  gloomy  recesses 
of  his  retreat. 

To  Ben  Zoof  the  last  week  of  the  year  was  full  of 
bustle.  The  arrangements  for  the  fete  were  entrusted  to 
him,  and  he  was  anxious,  in  spite  of  the  resources  of  Gallia 
being  so  limited,  to  make  the  programme  for  the  great  day 
as  attractive  as  possible. 

It  was  settled  that  the  proceedings  should  open  with  a 
grand  ddjeihier,  after  which  there  should  be  a  promenade 
upon  the  ice  in  the  direction  of  Gourbi  Island,  to  conclude 
with  a  torch-light  procession  in  the  evening.  The  torches, 
without  much  difficulty,  could  be  manufactured  from 
materials  included  in  the  stores  of  the  Hansa. 

The  composition  of  the  bill  of  fare  was  an  elaborate 
business.  The  orderly  and  the  cook  of  the  Dobryna  were 
frequently  to  be  seen  in  deep  confabulation,  so  that  it  was 
to  be  expected  that  the  repast  would  be  a  masterpiece  of 
the  combined  arts  of  French  and  Russian  cookery. 

"Only  let  the  dejeAner  be  a  success,"  said  Ben  Zoof, 
"and  I  will  answer  for  it  the  promenade  on  the  ice  is  sure 
to  be  a  success  too." 

On  the  evening  of  the  31st  of  December  the  table  in 
the  common  hall  was  laid  for  the  great  collation.  The  hot 
dishes  would  not  be  prepared  until  the  following  morning, 
but  all  the  cold  viands — game-pies,  galantines,  potted 
meats,  and  other  things,  many  of  which  had  been  obtained 
from  Isaac  Hakkabut  at  most  exorbitant  prices — were 
spread  upon  the  table. 

It  was  a  matter  of  debate  that  night  whether  the  pro- 
fessor should  be  invited  to  join  the  party  ;  it  was  scarcely 
likely  that  he  would  care  to  come,  but,  on  the  whole,  it 
was  felt  to  be  advisable  to  ask  him.  At  first  Captain 
Servadac  thought  of  going  in  person  with  the  invitation  ; 
but,  remembering  Rosette's  dislike  to  visitors,  he  altered 
his  mind,  and  sent  young  Pablo  up  to  the  obseD'atory  with 
a  formal  note,  requesting  the  pleasure  of  Professor  Rosette's 
company  at  the  New  Year's /^/^. 

Pablo  was  soon  back,  bringing  no  answer  except  tha/ 


A  fIite  day.  299 


the  professor  had  told  him  that  "to-day  was  the  125th  of 
June,  and  that  to-morrow  would  be  the  ist  of  July." 

Consequently,  Servadac  and  the  count  took  it  for 
granted  that  Palmyrin  Rosette  declined  their  invitation. 

An  hour  after  sunrise  on  New  Year's  Day,  Frenchmen, 
Russians,  Spaniards,  and  little  Nina,  as  the  representative 
of  Italy,  sat  down  to  a  feast  such  as  never  before  had  been 
seen  in  Gallia.  Ben  Zoof  and  the  Russian  cook  had  quite 
surpassed  themselves.  A  huge  dish  of  stewed  partridges, 
in  which,  in  default  of  vegetables,  enough  curry-powder 
had  been  used  to  blister  the  tongue,  if  not  to  damage  the 
coats  of  the  stomach,  was  the  pike  de  rhistance.  The 
wines,  part  of  the  Dobrynds  stores,  were  of  excellent 
quality.  Those  of  the  vintages  of  France  and  Spain  were 
drunk  in  toasting  their  respective  countries,  and  even 
Russia  was  honoured  in  a  similar  way  by  means  of  a  few 
bottles  of  kummel.  The  company  was  more  than  con- 
tented— it  was  as  jovial  as  Ben  Zoof  could  desire  ;  and 
the  ringing  cheers  that  followed  the  great  toast  of  thf 
day — "  A  happy  return  to  our  Mother  Earth,"  must  fairl} 
have  startled  the  professor  in  the  silence  of  his  observatory 

The  dijeflner  over,  there  still  remained  three  hours  of 
daylight.  The  sun  was  approaching  the  zenith,  but  so 
dim  and  enfeebled  were  his  rays  that  they  were  very 
unlike  what  had  produced  the  wines  of  Bordeaux  and 
Burgundy  which  they  had  just  been  enjoying,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  all,  before  starting  upon  an  excursion  that 
would  last  over  nightfall,  to  envelop  themselves  in  the 
thickest  of  clothing. 

Full  of  spirits,  the  party  left  the  Hive,  and  chattering  and 
singing  as  they  went,  made  their  way  down  to  the  frozen 
shore,  where  they  fastened  on  their  skates.  Once  upon 
the  ice,  every  one  followed  his  own  fancy,  and  some  singly, 
some  in  groups,  scattered  themselves  in  all  directions. 
Captain  Servadac,  the  count,  and  the  lieutenant  were 
generally  seen  together.  Negrete  and  the  Spaniards,  now 
masters  of  their  novel  exercise,  wandered  fleetly  and  grace- 
fully hither  and  thither,  occasionally  being  out  of  sight 


300  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


completely.  The  Russian  sailors,  following  a  northern 
custom,  skated  in  file,  maintaining  their  rank  by  means 
of  a  long  pole  passed  under  their  right  arms,  and  in  this 
way  they  described  a  trackway  of  singular  regularity. 
The  two  children,  blithe  as  birds,  flitted  about,  now  singly, 
now  arm-in-arm,  now  joining  the  captain's  party,  now 
making  a  short  peregrination  by  themselves,  but  always 
full  of  life  and  spirit.  As  for  Ben  Zoof,  he  was  here, 
there,  and  everywhere,  his  imperturbable  good  temper 
ensuring  him  a  smile  of  welcome  whenever  he  appeared. 

Thus  coursing  rapidly  over  the  icy  plain,  the  whole 
party  had  soon  exceeded  the  line  that  made  the  horizon 
from  the  shore.  First,  the  rocks  of  the  coast  were  lost  to 
view ;  then  the  white  crests  of  the  cliffs  were  no  longer  to 
be  seen ;  and  at  last,  the  summit  of  the  volcano,  with  its 
corona  of  vapour,  was  entirely  out  of  sight.  Occasionally 
the  skaters  were  obliged  to  stop  to  recover  their  breath, 
but,  fearful  of  frost-bite,  they  almost  instantly  resumed 
their  exercise,  and  proceeded  nearly  as  far  as  Gourbi 
Island  before  they  thought  about  retracing  their  course. 

But  night  was  coming  on,  and  the  sun  was  already 
sinking  in  the  east  with  the  rapidity  to  which  the  residents 
on  Gallia  were  by  this  time  well  accustomed.  The  sunset 
upon  this  contracted  horizon  was  very  remarkable.  There 
was  not  a  cloud  nor  a  vapour  to  catch  the  tints  of  the 
declining  beams  ;  the  surface  of  the  ice  did  not,  as  a  liquid 
sea  would,  reflect  the  last  green  ray  of  light ;  but  the 
radiant  orb,  enlarged  by  the  effect  of  refraction,  its  cir- 
cumference sharply  defined  against  the  sky,  sank  abruptly, 
as  though  a  trap  had  been  opened  in  the  ice  for  its 
reception. 

Before  the  daylight  ended,  Captain  Servadac  had 
cautioned  the  party  to  collect  themselves  betimes  into  one 
group. 

"Unless  you  are  sure  of  your  whereabouts  before  dark," 
he  said,  "  you  will  not  find  it  after.  We  have  come  out 
like  a  party  of  skirmishers  ;  let  us  go  back  in  full  force." 

The  night  would  be  dark ;  their  moon  was  in  conjunc 


A  F^TE   DAY.  3OI 


tion,  and  would  not  be  seen  ;  the  stars  would  only  give 
something  of  that  "  pale  radiance  "  which  the  poet  Cor- 
neille  has  described. 

Immediately  after  sunset  the  torches  were  lighted,  and 
the  long  series  of  flames,  fanned  by  the  rapid  motion  of 
their  bearers,  had  much  the  appearance  of  an  enormous 
fiery  banner.  An  hour  later,  and  the  volcano  appeared 
like  a  dim  shadow  on  the  horizon,  the  light  from  the  crater 
shedding  a  lurid  glare  upon  the  surrounding  gloom.  In 
time  the  glow  of  the  burning  lava,  reflected  in  the  icy 
mirror,  fell  upon  the  troop  of  skaters,  and  cast  their 
lengthened  shadows  grotesquely  on  the  surface  of  the 
frozen  sea. 

Later  still,  half  an  hour  or  more  afterwards,  the  torches 
were  all  but  dying  out.  The  shore  was  close  at  hand. 
All  at  once,  Ben  Zoof  uttered  a  startled  cry,  and  pointed 
with  bewildered  excitement  towards  the  mountain.  In- 
voluntarily, one  and  all,  they  ploughed  their  heels  into  the 
ice  and  came  to  a  halt.  Exclamations  of  surprise  and 
horror  burst  from  every  lip.  The  volcano  was  extin- 
guished !  The  stream  of  burning  larva  had  suddenly 
ceased  to  flow ! 

Speechless  with  amazement,  they  stood  still  for  some 
moments.  There  was  not  one  of  them  that  did  not  realize, 
more  or  less,  how  critical  was  their  position.  The  sole 
source  of  the  heat  that  had  enabled  them  to  brave  the 
rigour  of  the  cold  had  failed  them !  death,  in  the  cruellest 
of  all  shapes,  seemed  staring  them  in  the  face — deatk 
from  cold ! 

Meanwhile,  the  last  torch  had  flickered  out 

It  was  quite  dark. 

"  Forward  !  "  cried  Servadac,  firmly. 

At  the  word  of  command  they  advanced  to  the  shore  ; 
clambered  with  no  little  difficulty  up  the  slippery  rocks ; 
gained  the  mouth  of  the  gallery ;  groped  their  way  into 
the  common  hall. 

How  dreary  !  how  chill  it  seemed  ! 

The  fiery  cataract  no  longer  spread  its  glowing  covering 


302  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

over  the  mouth  of  the  grotto.  Lieutenant  Procope  leaned 
through  the  aperture.  The  pool,  hitherto  kept  fluid  by  its 
proximity  to  the  lava,  was  already  encrusted  with  a  layer 
of  ice. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  New  Year's  Day  so  happily 
begun. 


CHAPTER    XIIL 

THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  COMET. 

The  whole  night  was  spent  in  speculating,  with  gloomy 
forebodings,  upon  the  chances  of  the  future.  The  tem- 
perature of  the  hall,  now  entirely  exposed  to  the  outer  air, 
was  rapidly  falling,  and  would  quickly  become  unendur- 
able. Far  too  intense  was  the  cold  to  allow  any  one  to 
remain  at  the  opening,  and  the  moisture  on  the  walls  soon 
resolved  itself  into  icicles.  But  the  mountain  was  like  the 
body  of  a  dying  man,  that  retains  awhile  a  certain  amount 
of  heat  at  the  heart  after  the  extremities  have  become 
rold  and  dead.  In  the  more  interior  galleries  there  was 
still  a  certain  degree  of  warmth,  and  hither  Servadac  and 
his  companions  were  glad  enough  to  retreat 

Here  they  found  the  professor,  who,  startled  by  the 
sudden  cold,  had  been  fain  to  make  a  precipitate  retreat 
from  his  observatory.  Now  would  have  been  the  oppor- 
tunity to  demand  of  the  enthusiast  whether  he  would  like 
to  prolong  his  residence  indefinitely  upon  his  little  comet. 
It  is  very  likely  that  he  would  have  declared  himself  ready 
to  put  up  with  any  amount  of  discomfort  to  be  able  to 
gratify  his  love  of  investigation ;  but  all  were  far  too  dis- 
heartened and  distressed  to  care  to  banter  him  upon  the 
subject  on  which  he  was  so  sensitive. 

Next  morning,  Servadac  thus  addressed  his  people : 
**  My  friends,  except  from  cold,    we   have   nothing  to 
fear.     Our  provisions  are  ample — more  than  enough  for 


304  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


the  remaining  period  of  our  sojourn  in  this  lone  world  of 
ours  ;  our  preserved  meat  is  already  cooked  ;  we  shall  be 
able  to  dispense  with  all  fuel  for  cooking  purposes.  All 
that  we  require  is  warmth — warmth  for  ourselves  :  let  us 
secure  that,  and  all  may  be  well.  Now,  I  do  not  entertain 
a  doubt  but  that  the  warmth  we  require  is  resident  in  the 
bowels  of  this  mountain  on  which  we  are  living  ;  to  the 
depth  of  those  bowels  we  must  penetrate ;  there  we  shall 
obtain  the  warmth  which  is  indispensable  to  our  very 
existence." 

His  tone,  quite  as  much  as  his  words,  restored  con- 
fidence to  many  of  his  people,  who  were  already  yielding 
to  a  feeling  of  despair.  The  count  and  the  lieutenant 
fervently,  but  silently,  grasped  his  hand. 

"Nina,"  said  the  captain,  "you  will  not  be  afraid  to  go 
down  to  the  lower  depths  of  the  mountain,  will  you  ?  " 

"  Not  if  Pablo  goes,"  replied  the  child. 

"  Oh  yes,  of  course,  Pablo  will  go.  You  are  not  afraid 
to  go,  are  you,  Pablo  ? "  he  said,  addressing  the  boy. 

"  Anywhere  with  you,  your  Excellency,"  was  the  boy's 
prompt  reply. 

And  certain  it  was  that  no  time  must  be  lost  in  pene- 
trating below  the  heart  of  the  volcano  ;  already  the  most 
protected  of  the  many  ramifications  of  Nina's  Hive  were 
being  pervaded  by  a  cold  that  was  insufferable. 

The  conviction  became  more  and  more  settled  that 
heat  was  existent  in  the  deep  recesses  of  the  volcano  ;  the 
question  became  more  and  more  urgent,  how  that  heat 
could  be  reached,  and  how  it  could  be  utilized. 

It  was  an  acknowledged  impossibility  to  get  access  to 
the  crater  by  the  exterior  declivities  of  the  mountain-side  ; 
they  were  far  too  steep  and  too  slippery  to  afford  a  foot- 
hold.   It  must  of  necessity  be  entered  from  the  interior. 

Lieutenant  Procope  accordingly  undertook  the  task  of 
exploring  all  the  galleries,  and  was  soon  able  to  report 
that  he  had  discovered  one  which  he  had  every  reason  to 
believe  abutted  upon  the  central  funnel.  His  reason  for 
coming  to  this  conclusion  was  that  the  caloric  emitted  by 


THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  COMET.  305 


the  rising  vapours  of  the  hot  lava  seemed  to  be  oozing,  as 
it  were,  out  of  the  tellurium,  which  had  been  demonstrated 
already  to  be  a  conductor  of  heat.  Only  succeed  in 
piercing  through  this  rock  for  seven  or  eight  yards,  and 
the  lieutenant  did  not  doubt  that  his  way  would  be  opened 
into  the  old  lava-course,  by  following  which  he  hoped 
descent  would  be  easy. 

Under  the  lieutenant's  direction  the  Russian  sailors 
were  immediately  set  to  work.  Their  former  experience 
had  convinced  them  that  spades  and  pick-axes  were  ol 
no  avail,  and  their  sole  resource  was  to  proceed  by  blasting 
with  gunpowder.  However  skilfully  the  operation  might 
be  carried  on,  it  must  necessarily  occupy  several  days, 
and  during  that  time  the  sufferings  from  cold  must  be 
very  severe. 

"  If  we  fail  in  our  object,  and  cannot  get  to  the  depths 
of  the  mountain,  our  little  colony  is  doomed,"  said  Count 
Timaschefif. 

"That  speech  is  not  like  yourself,"  answered  Servadac, 
smiling.  "What  has  become  of  the  faith  which  has 
hitherto  carried  you  so  bravely  through  all  our  difficulties.?" 

The  count  shook  his  head,  as  if  in  despair,  and  said, 
sadly : 

"The  Hand  that  has  hitherto  been  outstretched  to 
help  seems  now  to  be  withdrawn." 

"  But  only  to  test  our  powers  of  endurance,"  rejoined 
the  captain,  earnestly.  "  Courage,  my  friend,  courage  ! 
Something  tells  me  that  this  cessation  of  the  eruption  is 
only  partial ;  the  internal  fire  is  not  all  extinct.  All  is  not 
over  yet.     It  is  too  soon  to  give  up  ;  never  despair  !  " 

Lieutenant  Procope  quite  concurred  with  the  captain. 
Many  causes,  he  knew,  besides  the  interruption  of  the 
influence  of  the  oxygen  upon  the  mineral  substances  in 
Gallia's  interior,  might  account  for  the  stoppage  of  the 
lava-flow  in  this  one  particular  spot,  and  he  considered  it 
more  than  probable  that  a  fresh  outlet  had  been  opened 
in  some  other  part  of  the  surface,  and  that  the  eruptive 
matter  had  been  diverted  into  the  new  channel.     But  at 


506  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


present  his  business  was  to  prosecute  his  labours  so  that 
a  retreat  might  be  immediately  effected  from  their  now 
untenantable  position. 

Restless  and  agitated,  Professor  Rosette,  if  he  took  any 
interest  in  these  discussions,  certainly  took  no  share  in 
them.  He  had  brought  his  telescope  down  from  the  obser- 
vatory into  the  common  hall,  and  there  at  frequent 
intervals,  by  night  and  by  day,  he  would  endeavour  to 
continue  his  observations  ;  but  the  intense  cold  perpetually 
compelled  him  to  desist,  or  he  would  literally  have  been 
frozen  to  death.  No  sooner,  however,  did  he  find  himself 
obliged  to  retreat  from  his  study  of  the  heavens,  than  he 
would  begin  overwhelming  everybody  about  him  with 
bitter  complaints,  pouring  out  his  regrets  that  he  had  ever 
quitted  his  quarters  at  P^ormentera. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  by  persevering  industry,  the 
process  of  boring  was  completed,  and  the  lieutenant  could 
hear  that  fragments  of  the  blasted  rock,  as  the  sailors  cleared 
them  away  with  their  spades,  were  rolling  into  the  funnel 
of  the  crater.  He  noticed,  too,  that  they  did  not  fall  per- 
pendicularly, but  seemed  to  slide  along,  from  which  he 
inferred  that  the  sides  of  the  crater  were  sloping ;  he  had 
therefore  reason  to  hope  that  a  descent  would  be  found 
practicable. 

Larger  and  larger  grew  the  orifice  ;  at  length  it  would 
admit  a  man's  body,  and  Ben  Zoof,  carrying  a  torch, 
pushed  himself  through  it,  followed  by  the  lieutenant  and 
Servadac.  Procope's  conjecture  proved  correct.  On  enter- 
ing the  crater,  they  found  that  the  sides  slanted  at  the 
angle  of  about  45°  ;  moreover,  the  eruption  had  evidently 
been  of  recent  origin,  dating  probably  only  from  the  shock 
which  had  invested  Gallia  with  a  proportion  of  the  atmo- 
sphere of  the  earth,  and  beneath  the  coating  of  ashes  with 
which  they  were  covered,  there  were  various  irregularities 
in  the  rock,  not  yet  worn  away  by  the  action  of  tlie  lava, 
and  these  afforded  a  tolerably  safe  footing. 

"  Rather  a  bad  staircase ! "  said  Ben  Zoof,  as  they 
began  to  make  their  way  down. 


THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  COMET.  307 

In  about  half  an  hour,  proceeding  in  a  southerly 
direction,  they  had  descended  nearly  five  hundred  feet. 
From  time  to  time  they  came  upon  large  excavations  that 
at  first  sight  had  all  the  appearance  of  galleries,  but  by 
waving  his  torch,  Ben  Zoof  could  always  see  their  extreme 
limits,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  lower  strata  of  the 
mountain  did  not  present  the  same  system  of  ramification 
that  rendered  the  Hive  above  so  commodious  a  residence. 

It  was  not  a  time  to  be  fastidious  ;  they  must  be 
satisfied  with  such  accommodation  as  they  could  get, 
provided  it  was  warm.  Captain  Servadac  was  only  too 
glad  to  find  that  his  hopes  about  the  temperature  were 
to  a  certain  extent  realized.  The  lower  they  went,  the 
greater  was  the  diminution  in  the  cold,  a  diminution  that 
was  far  more  rapid  than  that  which  is  experienced  in 
making  the  descent  of  terrestrial  mines.  In  this  case  it 
was  a  volcano,  not  a  colliery,  that  was  the  object  of  explo- 
ration, and  thankful  enough  they  were  to  find  that  it  had 
not  become  extinct.  Although  the  lava,  from  some  un- 
known cause,  had  ceased  to  rise  and  overflow  the  crater, 
yet  plainly  it  existed  somewhere  in  an  incendescent  state, 
and  was  still  transmitting  considerable  heat  to  inferior 
strata. 

Lieutenant  Procope  had  brought  in  his  hand  a  mer- 
curial thermometer,  and  Servadac  carried  an  aneroid 
barometer,  by  means  of  which  he  could  estimate  the  depth 
of  their  descent  below  the  level  of  the  Gallian  Sea.  When 
they  were  six  hundred  feet  below  the  orifice  the  mercury 
registered  a  temperature  of  6°  below  zero. 

"  Six  degrees  !  "  said  Servadac ;  "  that  will  not  suit  us. 
At  this  low  temperature  we  could  not  survive  the  winter. 
We  must  try  deeper  down.  I  only  hope  the  ventilation 
will  hold  out." 

There  was,  however,  nothing  to  fear  on  the  score  of 
ventilation.  The  great  current  of  air  that  rushed  into 
the  aperture  penetrated  everywhere,  and  made  respiration 
perfectly  easy. 

The  descent  was  continued  for  about  another  three 


308  HECTOR   SERVADAG 

hundred  feet,  Avhich  brought  the  explorers  to  a  total  depth 
of  nine  hundred  feet  from  their  old  quarters.  Here  the 
thermometer  registered  12°  above  zero- — a  temperature 
which^  if  only  it  were  permanent,  was  all  they  wanted. 
There  was  no  advantage  in  proceeding  any  further  along 
the  lava-course  ;  they  could  already  hear  dull  rumblings 
that  indicated  that  they  were  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
central  focus. 

*'  Quite  near  enough  for  me !  "  exclaimed  Ben  Zoof 
"  Those  who  are  chilly  are  welcome  to  go  as  much  lower 
as  they  like.  For  my  part,  I  shall  be  quite  warm  enough 
here." 

After  throwing  the  gleams  of  torch-light  in  all  direc- 
tions, the  explorers  seated  themselves  on  a  jutting  rock, 
and  began  to  debate  whether  it  was  practicable  for  the 
colony  to  make  an  abode  in  these  lower  depths  of  the 
mountain.  The  prospect,  it  must  be  owned,  was  not 
inviting.  The  crater,  it  is  true,  widened  out  into  a  cavern 
sufficiently  large,  but  here  its  accommodation  ended. 
Above  and  below  were  a  few  ledges  in  the  rock  that  would 
serve  as  receptacles  for  provisions ;  but,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  small  recess  that  must  be  reserved  for  Nina,  it  was 
clear  that  henceforth  they  must  all  renounce  the  idea  of 
having  separate  apartments.  The  single  cave  must  be 
their  dining-room,  drawing-room,  and  dormitory,  all  in 
one.  From  living  the  life  of  rabbits  in  a  warren,  they  were 
reduced  to  the  existence  of  moles,  with  the  difference  that 
they  could  not,  like  them,  forget  their  troubles  in  a  long 
winter's  sleep. 

The  cavern,  however,  was  quite  capable  of  being  lighted 
by  means  of  lamps  and  lanterns.  Among  the  stores  were 
several  barrels  of  oil  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  spirits 
of  wine,  which  might  be  burnt  when  required  for  cooking 
purposes.  Moreover,  it  would  be  unnecessary  for  them  to 
confine  themselves  entirely  to  the  seclusion  of  their  gloomy 
residence ;  well  v/rapped  up,  there  would  be  nothing  to 
prevent  them  making  occasional  excursions  both  to  the 
Hive   and    to   the   sea-shore.      A    supply   of  fresh  watei 


THE   BOWELS   01    THE   COMET.  309 


would  be  constantly  required  ;  ice  for  this  purpose  must 
be  perpetually  carried  in  from  the  coast,  and  it  would  be 
necessary  to  arrange  that  every  one  in  turn  should  per- 
form this  office,  as  it  would  be  no  sinecure  to  clamber  up 
the  sides  of  the  crater  for  900  feet,  and  descend  the  same 
distance  with  a  heavy  burden. 

But  the  emergency  was  great,  and  it  was  accordingly 
soon  decided  that  the  little  colony  should  forthwith  take 
up  its  quarters  in  the  cave.  After  all,  they  said,  they 
should  hardly  be  much  worse  off  than  thousands  who 
annually  winter  in  Arctic  regions.  On  board  the  whaling- 
vessels,  and  in  the  establishments  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  such  luxuries  as  separate  cabins  or  sleeping- 
chambers  are  never  thought  of;  one  large  apartment, 
well  heated  and  ventilated,  with  as  few  corners  as  possible, 
is  considered  far  more  healthy  ;  and  on  board  ship  the 
entire  hold,  and  in  forts  a  single  floor,  is  appropriated 
to  this  purpose.  The  recollection  of  this  fact  served  to 
reconcile  them,  in  a  great  degree,  to  the  change  to  which 
they  felt  it  requisite  to  submit. 

Having  remounted  the  ascent,  they  made  the  result  of 
their  exploration  known  to  the  mass  of  the  community, 
who  received  the  tidings  with  a  sense  of  relief,  and  cordially 
accepted  the  scheme  of  the  migration. 

The  first  step  was  to  clear  the  cavern  of  its  accumula- 
tion of  ashes,  and  then  the  labour  of  removal  commenced 
in  earnest.  Never  was  a  task  undertaken  with  greater  zest. 
The  fear  of  being  to  a  certainty  frozen  to  death  if  they 
remained  where  they  were,  was  a  stimulus  that  made  every 
one  put  forth  all  his  energies.  Beds,  furniture,  cooking 
utensils — first  the  stores  of  the  Dobryna,  then  the  cargo  of 
the  tartan — all  were  carried  down  with  the  greatest  alacrity, 
and  the  diminished  weight  combined  with  the  downhill 
route  to  make  the  labour  proceed  with  incredible  briskness. 

Although  Professor  Rosette  yielded  to  the  pressure  of 
circumstances,  and  allowed  himself  to  be  conducted  to 
the  lower  regions,  nothing  would  induce  him  to  allow  hi-s 
telescope  to  be  carried  underground  ;  and  as  it  was  unde 


3IO  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

niable  that  it  would  certainly  be  of  no  service  deep  down 
in  the  bowels  of  the  mountain,  it  was  allowed  to  remain 
undisturbed  upon  its  tripod  in  the  great  hall  of  Nina's  Hive. 

As  for  Isaac  Hakkabut,  his  outcry  was  beyond  descrip- 
tion lamentable.  Never,  in  the  whole  universe,  had  a 
merchant  met  with  such  reverses  ;  never  had  such  a  piti- 
able series  of  losses  befallen  an  unfortunate  man.  Regard- 
less of  the  ridicule  which  his  abject  wretchedness  excited, 
he  howled  on  still,  and  kept  up  an  unending  wail ;  but 
meanwhile  he  kept  a  keen  eye  upon  every  article  of  his 
property,  and  amidst  universal  laughter  insisted  on  having 
every  item  registered  in  an  inventory  as  it  was  transferred 
to  its  appointed  place  of  safety.  Servadac  considerately 
allowed  the  whole  of  the  cargo  to  be  deposited  in  a  hollow 
apart  by  itself,  over  which  the  Jew  was  permitted  to  keep 
a  watch  as  vigilant  as  he  pleased. 

By  the  loth  the  removal  was  accomplished.  Rescued, 
at  all  events,  from  the  exposure  to  a  perilous  temperature 
of  60°  below  zero,  the  community  ,/as  installed  in  its  new 
home.  The  large  cave  was  lighted  by  the  Dobryna\^ 
lamps,  while  several  lanterns,  suspended  at  intervals  along 
the  acclivity  that  led  to  their  deserted  quarters  above,  gave 
a  weird  picturesqueness  to  the  scene,  that  might  vie  with 
any  of  the  graphic  descriptions  of  the  "  Arabian  Nights' 
Entertainments." 

"  How  do  you  like  this,  Nina } "  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"  Va  bene  !  "  replied  the  child.  "  We  are  only  living  in 
the  cellars  instead  of  upon  the  ground  floor." 

"We  will  try  and  make  ourselves  comfortable,"  said 
the  orderly. 

"  Oh  yes,  we  will  be  happy  here,"  rejoined  the  child  ; 
"  it  is  nice  and  warm." 

Although  they  were  as  careful  as  they  could  to  con- 
ceal their  misgivings  from  the  rest,  Servadac  and  his  two 
friends  could  not  regard  their  present  situation  without 
distrust.  When  alone,  they  would  frequently  ask  each  other 
what  would  become  of  them  all,  if  the  volcanic  heat  sliould 
re^Uy  be  subsiding,  or  if  some  unexpected  perturbation 


THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  COMET.  31I 


should  retard  the  course  of  the  comet,  and  compel  them 
to  an  indefinitely  prolonged  residence  in  their  grim  abode. 
It  was  scarcely  likely  that  the  comet  conld  supply  the  fuel 
of  which  ere  long  they  would  be  in  urgent  need.  Who 
could  expect  to  find  coal  in  the  bowels  of  Gallia, — coal, 
which  is  the  residuum  of  ancient  forests  mineralized  by  the 
lapse  of  ages  .-'  Would  not  the  lava-cinders  exhumed  from 
the  extinct  volcano  be  their  last  poor  resource  ? 

"  Keep  up  your  spirits,  my  friends,"  said  Servadac  , 
"we  have  plenty  of  time  before  us  at  present.  Let  us 
hope  that  as  fresh  difficulties  arise,  fresh  ways  of  escape 
will  open.     Never  despair  !  " 

"True,"  said  the  count;  "it  is  an  old  saying  that 
*  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention.'  Besides,  I  should 
think  it  very  unlikely  that  the  internal  heat  will  fail  us 
now  before  the  summer." 

The  lieutenant  declared  that  he  entertained  the  same 
hope.  As  the  reason  of  his  opinion  he  alleged  that  the 
combustion  of  the  eruptive  matter  was  most  probably  of 
quite  recent  origin,  because  the  comet  before  its  collision 
with  the  earth  had  possessed  no  atmosphere,  and  that  con- 
sequently no  oxygen  could  have  penetrated  to  its  interior. 

"  Most  likely  you  are  right,"  replied  the  count  ;  "  and 
so  far  from  dreading  a  failure  of  the  internal  heat,  I  am 
not  quite  sure  that  we  may  not  be  exposed  to  a  more 
terrible  calamity  still  ?  " 

"  What  .-• "  asked  Servadac. 

"The  calamity  of  the  eruption  breaking  out  suddenly 
again,  and  taking  us  by  surprise." 

"  Heavens ! "  cried  the  captain,  "  we  will  not  think 
of  that." 

"The  outbreak  may  happen  again,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
calmly  ;  "  but  it  will  be  our  fault,  our  own  lack  of  vigi- 
lance, if  we  are  taken  by  surprise," 

And  so  the  conversation  dropped. 

The  15th  of  January  dawned:  and  the  comet  was 
220,000,000  leagues  from  the  sun. 

Gallia  had  reached  its  aphelion. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DREARY  MONTHS. 

Henceforth,    then,    with    a    velocity    ever    increasing, 

Gallia  would  re-approach  the  sun. 

Except  the  thirteen  Englishmen  who  had  been  left  at 
Gibraltar,  every  living  creature  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
dark  abyss  of  the  volcano's  crater. 

And  with  those  Englishmen,  how  had  it  fared  ? 

"  Far  better  than  with  ourselves,"  was  the  sentiment 
that  would  have  been  universally  accepted  in  Nina's  Hive. 

And  there  was  every  reason  to  conjecture  that  so  it 
was.  The  party  at  Gibraltar,  they  all  agreed,  would  not, 
like  themselves,  have  been  compelled  to  have  recourse  to  a 
stream  of  lava  for  their  supply  of  heat ;  they,  no  doubt, 
had  had  abundance  of  fuel  as  well  as  food  ;  and  in  their 
solid  casemate,  with  its  substantial  walls,  they  would  find 
ample  shelter  from  the  rigour  of  the  cold.  The  time 
would  have  been  passed  at  least  in  comfort,  and  perhaps 
in  contentment;  and  Colonel  Murphy  and  Major  Oliphant 
would  have  had  leisure  more  than  sufficient  for  solving 
the  most  abstruse  problems  of  the  chess-board.  All  of 
them,  too,  would  be  happy  in  the  confidence  that  when 
the  time  should  come,  England  would  have  full  meed  ol 
praise  to  award  to  the  gallant  soldiers  who  had  adhered 
so  well  and  so  manfully  to  their  post. 

It  did,  indeed,  more  than  once  occur  to  the  minds  both 
of  Servadac  and  his  friends  that,  if  their  condition  should 


DREARY   MONTHS.  313 


become  one  of  extreme  emergency,  they  might,  as  a  last 
resource,  betake  themselves  to  Gibraltar,  and  there  seek 
a  refuge  ;  but  their  former  reception  had  not  been  of 
the  kindest,  and  they  were  little  disposed  to  renew  an 
acquaintanceship  that  was  marked  by  so  little  cordiality. 
Not  in  the  least  that  they  would  expect  to  meet  with  any 
inhospitable  rebuff.  Far  from  that ;  they  knew  well  enough 
that  Englishmen,  whatever  their  faults,  would  be  the  last 
to  abandon  their  fellow-creatures  in  the  hour  of  distress. 
Nevertheless,  except  the  necessity  became  far  more  urgent 
than  it  had  hitherto  proved,  they  resolved  to  endeavour  to 
remain  in  their  present  quarters.  Up  till  this  time  no 
casualties  had  diminished  their  original  number,  but  to 
undertake  so  long  a  journey  across  that  unsheltered 
expanse  of  ice  could  scarcely  fail  to  result  in  the  loss  of 
some  of  their  party. 

However  great  was  the  desire  to  find  a  retreat  for 
every  living  thing  in  the  deep  hollow  of  the  crater,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  slaughter  almost  all  the  domestic 
animals  before  the  removal  of  the  community  from  Nina's 
Hive.  To  have  stabled  them  all  in  the  cavern  below 
would  have  been  quite  impossible,  whilst  to  have  left  them 
in  the  upper  galleries  would  only  have  been  to  abandon 
them  to  a  cruel  death  ;  and  since  meat  could  be  preserved 
for  an  indefinite  time  in  the  original  store-places,  now 
colder  than  ever,  the  expedient  of  killing  off  the  animals 
seemed  to  recommend  itself  as  being  equally  prudent  and 
humane. 

Naturally  the  captain  and  Ben  Zoof  were  most  anxious 
that  their  favourite  horses  should  be  saved,  and  accordingly, 
by  dint  of  the  greatest  care,  all  difficulties  in  the  way  were 
overcome,  and  Zephyr  and  Galette  were  conducted  down 
the  crater,  where  they  were  installed  in  a  large  hole  and 
provided  with  forage,  which  was  still  abundant. 

Birds,  subsisting  only  on  scraps  thrown  out  to  them 
did  not  cease  to  follow  the  population  in  its  migration, 
and  so  numerous  did  they  become  that  multitudes  of  them 
had  repeatedly  to  be  destroyed. 


314  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

The  general  re-arrangement  of  the  new  residence  was 
no  easy  business,  and  occupied  so  much  time  that  the  end 
of  January  arrived  before  they  could  be  said  to  be  fairly 
settled.  And  then  began  a  life  of  dreary  monotony. 
Then  seemed  to  creep  over  every  one  a  kind  of  moral 
torpor  as  well  as  physical  lassitude,  which  Servadac,  the 
count,  and  the  lieutenant  did  their  best  not  only  to  combat 
in  themselves,  but  to  counteract  in  the  general  community. 
They  provided  a  variety  of  intellectual  pursuits ;  they 
instituted  debates  in  which  everybody  was  encouraged 
to  take  part;  they  read  aloud,  and  explained  extracts  from 
the  elementary  manuals  of  science,  or  from  the  books  of 
adventurous  travel  which  their  library  supplied  ;  and 
Russians  and  Spaniards,  day  after  day,  might  be  seen 
gathered  round  the  large  table,  giving  their  best  attention 
to  instruction  which  should  send  them  back  to  Mother 
Earth  less  ignorant  than  they  had  left  her. 

Selfish  and  morose,  Hakkabut  could  never  be  induced , 
to  be  present  at  these  social  gatherings.  He  was  far  too 
much  occupied  in  his  own  appropriated  corner,  either  in 
conning  his  accounts,  or  in  counting  his  money.  Alto- 
gether, with  what  he  had  before,  he  now  possessed  the  round 
sum  of  150,000  francs,  half  of  which  was  in  sterling  gold  • 
but  nothing  could  give  him  any  satisfaction  while  he  knew 
that  the  days  were  passing,  and  that  he  was  denied  the 
opportunity  of  putting  out  his  capital  in  advantageous 
investments,  or  securing  a  proper  interest. 

Neither  did  Palmyrin  Rosette  find  leisure  to  take  any 
share  in  the  mutual  intercourse.  His  occupation  was  far 
too  absorbing  for  him  to  suffer  it  to  be  interrupted,  and  to 
him,  living  as  he  did  perpetually  in  a  world  of  figures,  the 
winter  days  seemed  neither  long  nor  wearisome.  Having 
ascertained  every  possible  particular  about  his  comet,  he 
was  now  devoting  himself  with  equal  ardour  to  the  analysis 
of  all  the  properties  of  the  satellite  Nerina,  to  which  he 
appeared  to  assert  the  same  claim  of  proprietorship. 

In  order  to  investigate  the  new  elements  which  be- 
longed to  Nerina,  in  consequence  of  its  removal  from  the 


I 


DREARY   MONTHS.  315 

zone  of  the  telescopic  planets,  it  was  indispensable  that  he 
should  make  several  actual  observations  at  various  points 
of  the  orbit ;  and  for  this  purpose  he  repeatedly  made  his 
way  up  to  the  grotto  above,  where,  in  spite  of  the  extreme 
severity  of  the  cold,  he  would  persevere  in  the  use  of  his 
telescope  till  he  was  all  but  paralyzed.  But  what  he  felt 
more  than  anything  was  the  want  of  some  retired  apart- 
ment, where  he  could  pursue  his  studies  without  hindrance 
o'  intrusion. 

It  was  about  the  beginning  of  February,  when  the  pro- 
fessor brought  his  complaint  to  Captain  Servadac,  and 
begged  him  to  assign  him  a  chamber,  no  matter  how 
small,  in  which  he  should  be  free  to  carry  on  his  task  in 
silence  and  without  molestation.  So  readily  did  Servadac 
promise  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to  provide  him  with 
the  accommodation  for  which  he  asked,  that  the  professor 
was  put  into  such  manifest  good  temper  that  the  captain 
ventured  to  speak  upon  the  matter  that  was  ever  upper- 
most in  his  mind. 

"  I  do  not  mean,"  he  began  timidly,  "  to  cast  the  least 
imputation  of  inaccuracy  upon  any  of  your  calculations, 
but  would  you  allow  me,  my  dear  professor,  to  suggest  that 
you  should  revise  your  estimate  of  the  duration  of  Gallia's 
period  of  revolution.  It  is  so  important,  you  know,  so 
all  important  ;  the  difference  of  one  half  minute,  you 
know,  would  so  certainly  mar  the  expectation  of  reunion 
with  the  earth " 

And  seeing  a  cloud  gathering  on  Rosette's  face,  he 
added  : 

"  I  am  sure  Lieutenant  Procope  would  be  only  too 
happy  to  render  you  any  assistance  in  the  revision." 

"  Sir,"  said  the  professor,  bridling  up,  "  I  want  no 
assistant ;  my  calculations  want  no  revision.  I  never 
make  an  error.  I  have  made  my  reckoning  as  far  as 
Gallia  is  concerned.  I  am  now  making  a  like  estimate  of 
the  elements  of  Nerina." 

Conscious  how  impolitic  it  would  be  to  press  this 
matter   further,   the   captain   casually   remarked    that  he 


3l6  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


should  have  supposed  that  all  the  elements  of  Nerina  had 
been  calculated  long  since  by  astronomers  on  the  earth. 
It  was  about  as  unlucky  a  speech  as  he  could  possibly  have 
made.     The  professor  glared  at  him  fiercely. 

"Astounding,  sir!"  he  exclaimed.  "Yes!  Nerina 
was  a  planet  then  ;  everything  that  appertained  to  the 
planet  was  determined ;  but  Nerina  is  a  moon  now.  And 
do  you  not  think,  sir,  that  we  have  a  right  to  know  as 
much  about  our  moon  as  those  terrestrials " — and  he 
curled  his  lip  as  he  spoke  with  a  contemptuous  emphasis 
— "  know  of  theirs  .-*  " 

"  I  beg  pardon,"  said  the  corrected  captain. 

"  Well  then,  never  mind,"  replied  the  professor, 
quickly  appeased  ;  "  only  will  you  have  the  goodness  to 
get  me  a  proper  place  for  study  ?  " 

"  I  will,  as  I  promised,  do  all  I  can,"  answered 
Servadac. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  professor.  "  No  immediate 
hurry  ;  an  hour  hence  will  do." 

But  in  spite  of  this  condescension  on  the  part  of  the 
man  of  science,  some  hours  had  to  elapse  before  any  place 
of  retreat  could  be  discovered  likely  to  suit  his  require- 
ments ;  but  at  length  a  little  nook  was  found  in  the  side  of 
the  cavern  just  large  enough  to  hold  an  armchair  and  a 
table,  and  in  this  the  astronomer  was  soon  ensconced  to 
his  entire  satisfaction. 

Buried  thus,  nearly  900  feet  below  ground,  the  Gallians 
ought  to  have  had  unbounded  mental  energy  to  furnish  an 
adequate  reaction  to  the  depressing  monotony  of  their 
existence  ;  but  many  days  would  often  elapse  without  any 
one  of  them  ascending  to  the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  necessity  of  obtaining  fresh  water,  it 
seemed  almost  probable  that  there  would  never  have  been 
an  effort  made  to  leave  the  cavern  at  all. 

A  few  excursions,  it  is  true,  were  made  in  the  down- 
ward direction.  The  three  leaders,  with  Ben  Zoof,  made 
their  way  to  the  lower  depths  of  the  crater,  not  with  the 
design  of  making  any  further  examination  as  to  the  nature 


Nine  hundred  feet  below  ground. 


DREARY  MONTHS.  31; 


of  the  rock— for  although  it  might  be  true  enough  that  it 
contained  thirty  per  cent,  of  gold,  it  was  as  valueless  to 
them  as  granite — but  with  the  intention  of  ascertaining 
whether  the  subterranean  fire  still  retained  its  activity. 
Satisfied  upon  this  point,  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  eruption  which  had  so  suddenly  ceased  in  one  spot 
had  certainly  broken  out  in  another. 

February,  March,  April,  May,  passed  wearily  by  ;  but 
day  succeeded  to  day  with  such  gloomy  sameness  that  it 
was  little  wonder  that  no  notice  was  taken  of  the  lapse  of 
time.  The  people  seemed  rather  to  vegetate  than  to  live, 
and  their  want  of  vigour  became  at  times  almost  alarming. 
The  readings  around  the  long  table  ceased  to  be  attrac- 
tive, and  the  debates,  sustained  by  few,  became  utterly 
wanting  in  animation.  The  Spaniards  could  hardly  be 
roused  to  quit  their  beds,  and  seemed  to  have  scarcely 
energy  enough  to  eat  The  Russians,  constitutionally  of 
more  enduring  temperament,  did  not  give  way  to  the  same 
extent,  but  the  long  and  drear  confinement  was  beginning 
to  tell  upon  them  all.  Servadac,  the  count,  and  the  lieu- 
tenant all  knew  well  enough  that  it  was  the  want  of  air 
and  exercise  that  was  the  cause  of  much  of  this  mental 
depression  ;  but  what  could  they  do  .-*  The  most  serious 
remonstrances  on  their  part  were  entirely  in  vain.  In  fact, 
they  themselves  occasionally  fell  a  prey  to  the  same  lassi- 
tude both  of  body  and  mind.  Long  fits  of  drowsiness, 
combined  with  an  utter  aversion  to  food,  would  come  over 
them.  It  almost  seemed  as  if  their  entire  nature  had 
become  degenerate,  and  that,  like  tortoises,  they  could 
sleep  and  fast  till  the  return  of  summer. 

Strange  to  say,  little  Nina  bore  her  hardships  more 
bravely  than  any  of  them.  Flitting  about,  coaxing  one  to 
eat,  another  to  drink,  rousing  Pablo  as  often  as  he  seemed 
yielding  to  the  common  langour,  the  child  became  the 
life  of  the  party.  Her  merry  prattle  enlivened  the  gloom 
of  the  grim  cavern  like  the  sweet  notes  of  a  bird  ;  her  gay 
Italian  songs  broke  the  monotony  of  the  depressing 
silence ;    and   almost   unconscious    as   the    half-dormanl 


3l8  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


population  of  Gallia  were  of  her  influence,  they  still  would 
have  missed  her  bright  presence  sorely. 

The  months  still  glided  on  ;  how,  it  seemed  impossible 
for  the  inhabitants  of  the  living  tomb  to  say.  There  was 
a  dead  level  of  dulness. 

At  the  beginning  of  June  the  general  torpor  appeared 
slightly  to  relax  its  hold  upon  its  victims.  This  partial 
revival  was  probably  due  to  the  somewhat  increased  in- 
fluence of  the  sun,  still  far,  far  away. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  Gallian  year,  Lieutenant 
Procope  had  taken  careful  note  of  Rosette's  monthly 
announcements  of  the  comet's  progress,  and  he  was  able 
now,  without  reference  to  the  professor,  to  calculate  the 
rate  of  advance  on  its  way  back  towards  the  sun.  He 
found  that  Gallia  had  recrossed  the  orbit  of  Jupiter,  but 
was  still  at  the  enormous  distance  of  197,000,000  leagues 
from  the  sun,  and  he  reckoned  that  in  about  four  months 
it  would  have  entered  the  zone  of  the  telescopic  planets. 

Gradually,  but  uninterruptedly,  life  and  spirits  con 
tinued  to  revive,  and  by  the  end  of  the  month  Servadac 
and  his  little  colony  had  regained  most  of  their  ordinary 
physical  and  mental  energies.  Ben  Zoof,  in  particular, 
roused  himself  with  redoubled  vigour,  like  a  giant  refreshed 
from  his  slumbers.  The  visits,  consequently,  to  the  long- 
neglected  galleries  of  Nina's  Hive  became  more  and  more 
frequent 

One  day  an  excursion  was  made  to  the  shore.  It  was 
still  bitterly  cold,  but  the  atmosphere  had  lost  nothing  of 
its  former  stillness,  and  not  a  cloud  was  visible  from  hori- 
zon to  zenith.  The  old  footmarks  were  all  as  distinct  as 
on  the  day  in  which  they  had  been  imprinted,  and  the 
only  portion  of  the  shore  where  any  change  was  apparent 
was  in  the  little  creek.  Here  the  elevation  of  the  ice  had 
gone  on  increasing,  until  the  schooner  and  the  tartan  had 
been  uplifted  to  a  height  of  1 50  feet,  not  only  rendering 
them  quite  inaccessible,  but  exposing  them  to  all  but 
certain  destruction  in  the  event  of  a  thaw. 

Isaac  Hakkabut,   immovable  from  the  personal  over- 


DREARY  MONTHS.  319 


sight  of  his  property  in  the  cavern,  had  not  accompanied 
the  party,  and  consequently  was  in  blissful  ignorance  of 
the  fate  that  threatened  his  vessel. 

"A  good  thing  the  old  fellow  wasn't  there  to  see," 
observed  Ben  Zoof;  "he  would  have  screamed  like  a 
peacock.  What  a  misfortune  it  is,"  he  added,  speaking  to 
himself,  "  to  have  a  peacock's  voice,  without  its  plumage  !  " 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August,  Gallia  advanced 
164,000,000  leagues  along  her  orbit  At  night  the  cold 
was  still  intense,  but  in  the  daytime  the  sun,  here  full 
upon  the  equator,  caused  an  appreciable  difference  of  20° 
in  the  temperature.  Like  birds,  the  population  spent 
whole  days  exposed  to  its  grateful  warmth,  rarely  return- 
ing till  nightfall  to  the  shade  of  their  gloomy  home. 

This  spring-time,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  had  a  most 
enlivening  influence  upon  all.  Hope  and  courage  revived 
as  day  by  day  the  sun's  disc  expanded  in  the  heavens,  and 
every  evening  the  earth  assumed  a  greater  magnitude 
amongst  the  fixed  stars.  It  was  distant  yet,  but  the  goal 
was  cheeringly  in  view. 

"  I  can't  believe  that  yonder  little  speck  of  light  con- 
tains my  mountain  of  Montmartre,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  one 
night,  after  he  had  been  gazing  long  and  steadily  at  the 
far-off  world. 

"You  will,  I  hope,  some  day  find  out  that  it  does," 
answered  his  master. 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  the  orderly,  without  moving  his  eye 
from  the  distant  sphere. 

After  meditating  a  while,  he  spoke  again  : 

•'  I  suppose  Professor  Rosette  couldn't  make  his  comet 
go  straight  back,  could  he  ? " 

"  Hush  !  "  cried  Servadac. 

Ben  Zoof  understood  the  correction. 

"  No,"  continued  the  captain  ;  "  it  is  not  for  man  to 
disturb  the  order  of  the  universe.  That  belongs  to  a 
Higher  Power  than  oursl" 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  PROFESSOR   PERPLEXED. 

Another  month  passed  away,  and  it  was  now  September, 
but  it  was  still  impossible  to  leave  the  warmth  of  the 
subterranean  retreat  for  the  more  airy  and  commodious 
quarters  of  the  Hive,  where  "  the  bees  "  would  certainly 
have  been  frozen  to  death  in  their  cells.  It  was  altogether 
quite  as  much  a  matter  of  congratulation  as  of  regret  that 
the  volcano  showed  no  symptoms  of  resuming  its  activity ; 
for  although  a  return  of  the  eruption  might  have  rendered 
their  former  resort  again  habitable,  any  sudden  outbreak 
would  have  been  disastrous  to  them  where  they  were,  the 
crater  being  the  sole  outlet  by  which  the  burning  lava 
could  escape. 

"A  wretched  time  we  have  had  for  the  last  seven 
months,"  said  the  orderly  one  day  to  his  master  ;  "  but 
what  a  comfort  little  Nina  has  been  to  us  all !  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Servadac ;  "  she  is  a  charming 
little  creature.  I  hardly  know  how  we  should  have  got  on 
without  her." 

"  What  is  to  become  of  her  when  we  arrive  back  at  the 
earth  ? " 

•*  Not  much  fear,  Ben  Zoof,  but  that  she  will  be  well 
taken  care  of.     Perhaps  you  and  I  had  better  adopt  her." 

"Ay,  yes,"  assented  the  orderly.  "You  can  be  hei 
father,  and  I  can  be  her  mother." 

Servadac  laughed. 


tHE  PROFESSOR   PERPLEXED.  32 J 


"  Then  you  and  I  shall  be  man  and  wife.*' 

"We  have  been  as  good  as   that   for  a  long   time/* 

obsei-ved  Ben  Zoof,  gravely. 

By  the  beginning  of  October,  the  temperature  ha^i  so 
far  moderated  that  it  could  scarcely  be  said  to  be  intoler- 
able. The  comet's  distance  was  scarcely  three  times  as 
great  from  the  sun  as  the  earth  from  the  sun,  so  that  the 
thermometer  rarely  sunk  beyond  35°  below  zero.  The 
whole  party. began  to  make  almost  daily  visits  to  the  Hive, 
and  frequently  proceeded  to  the  shore,  where  they  resumed 
their  skating  exercise,  rejoicing  in  their  recovered  freedom 
like  prisoners  liberated  from  a  dungeon.  Whilst  the  rest 
were  enjoying  their  recreation,  Servadac  and  the  count 
would  hold  long  conversations  with  Lieutenant  Procope 
about  their  present  position  and  future  prospects,  discuss- 
ing all  manner  of  speculations  as  to  the  results  of  the 
anticipated  collision  with  the  earth,  and  wondering  whether 
any  measures  could  be  devised  for  mitigating  the  violence 
of  a  shock  which  might  be  terrible  in  its  consequences, 
even  if  it  did  not  entail  a  total  annihilation  of  themselves. 

There  was  no  visitor  to  the  Hive  more  regular  than 
Rosette.  He  had  already  directed  his  telescope  to  be 
moved  back  to  his  former  observatory,  where,  as  much  as 
the  cold  would  permit  him,  he  persisted  in  making  his  all- 
absorbing  studies  of  the  heavens. 

The  result  of  these  studies  no  one  ventured  to  inquire  ; 
but  it  became  generally  noticed  that  something  was  very 
seriously  disturbing  the  professor's  equanimity.  Not  only 
would  he  be  seen  toiling  more  frequently  up  the  arduous 
way  that  lay  between  his  nook  below  and  his  telescope 
above,  but  he  would  be  heard  muttering  in  an  angry  tone 
that  indicated  considerable  agitation. 

One  day,  as  he  was  hurrying  down  to  his  study,  he  met 
Ben  Zoof,  who,  secretly  entertaining  a  feeling  of  delight  at 
the  professor's  manifest  discomfiture,  made  some  casual 
remark  about  things  not  being  very  straight.  The  way  in 
which  his  advance  was  received  the  good  orderly  never 
divulged,  but  henceforward   he  maintained  the  firm  con- 


322  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

viction  that  there  was  somethhig  very  much  amiss  up  in 
the  sky. 

To  Servadac  and  his  friends  this  continual  disquietude 
and  ill-humour  on  the  part  of  the  professor  occasioned  no 
little  anxiety.  From  what,  they  asked,  could  his  dissatis- 
faction arise  ?  They  could  only  conjecture  that  he  had 
discovered  some  flaw  in  his  reckonings  ;  and  if  this  were 
so,  might  there  not  be  reason  to  apprehend  that  their 
anticipations  of  coming  into  contact  with  the  earth,  at  the 
settled  time,  might  all  be  falsified  ? 

Day  followed  day,  and  still  there  was  no  cessation  of 
the  professor's  discomposure.  He  was  the  most  miserable 
of  mortals.  If  really  his  calculations  and  his  observations 
were  at  variance,  this,  in  a  man  of  his  irritable  tempera- 
ment, would  account  for  his  perpetual  perturbation.  But 
he  entered  into  no  explanation  ;  he  only  climbed  up  to  his 
telescope,  looking  haggard  and  distressed,  and  when  com- 
pelled by  the  frost  to  retire,  he  would  make  his  way  back 
to  his  study  more  furious  than  ever. 

At  times  he  was  heard  giving  vent  to  his  vexation  : 

"  Confound  it !  what  does  it  mean  ?  what  is  she  doing  .-* 
All  behind !  Is  Newton  a  fool .''  The  laws  of  gravity 
seem  topsy-turvy !  Observations !  Calculations !  Not 
agree  ?     Plague  !     Confound  it !     Curses  !  " 

And  the  little  man  would  seize  his  head  in  both  his 
hands,  and  tear  away  at  the  scanty  locks  which  he  could 
ill  afford  to  lose. 

Enough  was  overheard  to  confirm  the  suspicion  that 
there  was  some  irreconcilable  discrepancy  between  the 
results  of  his  computation  and  what  he  had  actually  ob- 
served ;  and  yet,  if  he  had  been  called  upon  to  say,  he 
would  have  sooner  insisted  that  there  was  derangement  in 
the  laws  of  celestial  mechanism,  than  have  owned  there  was 
the  least  probability  of  error  in  any  of  his  own  calculations 

Assuredly,  if  the  poor  professor  had  had  any  flesh  to 
lose  he  would  have  withered  away  to  a  shadow. 

But  this  state  of  things  was  before  long  to  come  to  an 
end. 


THE   PROFESSOR   PERPLEXED.  323 


On  the  1 2th,  Ben  Zoof,  who  was  hanging  about  outside 
the  great  hall  of  the  cavern,  heard  the  professor  inside 
utter  a  loud  cry.  Hurrying  in  to  ascertain  the  cause,  he 
found  Rosette  in  a  state  of  perfect  frenzy,  in  which  ecstacy 
and  rage  seemed  to  be  struggling  for  the  predominance. 

"  Eureka  !  Eureka  !  "  yelled  the  excited  astronomer. 

"  What,  in  the  name  of  peace,  do  you  mean  ? "  bawled 
Ben  Zoof,  in  open-mouthed  amazement. 

"  Eureka  !  "  again  shrieked  the  little  man. 

"  How  ?  What .?  Where  ?  "  roared  the  bewildered 
orderly. 

"Eureka!  I  say,"  repeated  Rosette;  "and  if  you  don't 
understand  me,  you  may  go  to  the  devil !  " 

Without  availing  himself  of  this  polite  invitation,  Ben 
Zoof  betook  himself  to  his  master. 

"  Something  has  happened  to  the  professor,"  he  said ; 
"  he  is  rushing  about  like  a  madman,  screeching  and 
yelling,  *  Eureka  ! '  " 

"  Eureka .-' "  exclaimed  Servadac.  '*  That  means  he  has 
made  a  discovery ;  "  and,  full  of  anxiety,  he  hurried  off  to 
meet  the  professor. 

But,  however  great  was  his  desire  to  ascertain  what  this 
discovery  implied,  his  curiosity  was  not  yet  destined  to  be 
gratified.  The  professor  kept  muttering  in  incoherent 
phrases :  "  Rascal !  he  shall  pay  for  it  yet.  I  will  be  even 
with  him  !  Cheat !  Thrown  me  out ! "  But  he  did  not 
vouchsafe  any  reply  to  Servadac's  inquiries,  and  withdrew 
to  his  study. 

But  from  that  day  forward  Rosette,  for  some  reason  at 
present  incomprehensible,  quite  altered  his  behaviour  to 
Isaac  Hakkabut,  a  man  for  whom  he  had  always  hitherto 
evinced  the  greatest  repugnance  and  contempt.  All  at 
once  he  began  to  show  a  remarkable  interest  in  the  Jew 
and  his  affairs,  paying  several  visits  to  the  dark  little 
storehouse,  making  inquiries  as  to  the  state  of  business 
and  expressing  some  solicitude  about  the  state  of  the 
exchequer. 

The  wily  Jew  was  taken   somewhat   by  surprise,  but 


324.  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


came  to  an  immediate  conclusion  that  the  professor  was 
contemplating  borrowing  some  money ;  he  was  conse- 
quently very  cautious  in  all  his  replies. 

It  was  not  Hakkabut's  habit  ever  to  advance  a  loan 
except  at  an  extravagant  rate  of  interest,  or  without  de- 
manding far  more  than  an  adequate  security.  Count 
Timascheff,  a  Russian  nobleman,  was  evidently  rich  ;  to 
him,  perhaps,  for  a  proper  consideration,  a  loan  might  be 
made  :  Captain  Servadac  was  a  Gascon,  and  Gascons  are 
proverbially  poor  ;  it  would  never  do  to  lend  any  money 
to  him :  but  here  was  a  professor,  a  mere  man  of  science, 
with  circumscribed  means  ;  did  he  expect  to  borrow  ? 
Certainly  Isaac  would  as  soon  think  of  flying,  as  of  lending 
money  to  him. 

Such  were  the  thoughts  that  made  him  receive  all 
Rosette's  approaches  with  a  careful  reservation. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  Hakkabut  was  to  be 
called  upon  to  apply  his  money  to  a  purpose  for  which  he 
had  not  reckoned. 

In  his  eagerness  to  effect  sales,  he  had  parted  with  all 
the  alimentary  articles  in  his  cargo  without  having  the 
precautionary  prudence  to  reserve  enough  for  his  own  con- 
sumption. Amongst  other  things  that  failed  him  was  his 
stock  of  coffee,  and  as  coffee  was  a  beverage  without 
which  he  deemed  it  impossible  to  exist,  he  found  himself 
in  considerable  perplexity. 

He  pondered  the  matter  over  for  a  long  time,  and 
ultimately  persuaded  himself  that,  after  all,  the  stores  were 
the  common  property  of  all,  and  that  he  had  as  much  right 
to  a  share  as  any  one  else.  Accordingly,  he  made  his  way 
to  Ben  Zoof,  and,  in  the  most  amiable  tone  he  could 
assume,  begged  as  a  favour  that  he  would  let  him  have 
a  pound  of  coffee. 

The  orderly  shook  hib  head  dubiously. 

"A  pound  of  coffee,  old  Nathan  .-'     I  can't  say/* 

"  Why  not }     You  have  some  .-'  "  said  Isaac. 

**  Oh  yes  !  plenty— a  hundred  kilogrammes." 

"  Then  let  me  have  one  pound.     I  shall  be  gratefuL"' 


THE   PROFESSOR   PERPLEXED.  325 


**  Hang  your  gratitude  !  " 

"  Only  one  pound  !  You  would  not  refuse  anybodj 
else." 

"  That's  just  the  very  point,  old  Samuel  ;  if  you  were 
anybody  else,  I  should  know  very  well  what  to  do.  I  must 
refer  the  matter  to  his  Excellency." 

"  Oh,  his  Excellency  will  do  me  justice." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  find  his  justice  rather  too  much  for 
you." 

And  with  this  consoling  remark,  the  orderly  went  to 
seek  his  master. 

Rosette  meanwhile  had  been  listening  to  the  conversa- 
tion, and  was  secretly  rejoicing  that  an  opportunity  for 
which  he  had  been  watching  had  now  arrived, 

"  What's  the  matter.  Master  Isaac  ?  Have  you  parted 
with  all  your  coffee  .-* "  he  asked,  in  a  sympathizing  voice, 
when  Ben  Zoof  was  gone. 

"  Ah !  yes,  indeed,"  groaned  Hakkabut ;  "  and  now  I 
require  some  for  my  own  use.  In  my  little  black  hole 
I  cannot  live  without  my  coffee." 

"  Of  course  you  cannot,"  agreed  the  professor. 

"  And  don't  you  think  the  governour  ought  to  let  me 
have  it  ?  " 

"  No  doubt." 

"  Oh,  I  must  have  coflfee,"  said  the  Jew  again. 

"  Certainly,  certainly,"  the  professor  assented.  "  Coffee 
is  nutritious ;  it  warms  the  blood.  How  much  do  you 
want  ? " 

"  A  pound.     A  pound  will  last  me  a  long  time." 

"  And  who  will  weigh  it  for  you  ? "  asked  Rosette, 
f  scarcely  able  to  conceal  the  eagerness  that  prompted  the 
question. 

"  Why,  they  will  weigh  it  with  my  steelyard,  of  course. 
There  is  no  other  balance  here." 

And  as  the  Jew  spoke,  the  professor  fancied  he  could 
detect  the  faintest  of  sighs. 

"  Good,  Master  Isaac  ;  all  the  better  for  you !  You 
will  get  your  seven  pounds  instead  of  one  I " 


326  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 


**  Yes  ;  well,  seven,  or  thereabouts  —  thereabouts/' 
stammered  the  Jew  with  considerable  hesitation. 

Rosette  scanned  his  countenance  narrowly,  and  was 
about  to  probe  him  with  further  questions,  when  Ben  Zoof 
returned. 

"And  what  does  his  Excellency  say ? "  inquired  Hak- 
kabut. 

"  Why,  Nehemiah,  he  says  he  shan't  give  you  any.** 

**  Merciful  heavens  !  "  began  the  Jew. 

"  He  says  he  doesn't  mind  selling  you  a  little." 

**  But,  by  the  holy  city,  why  does  he  make  me  pay  for 
what  anybody  else  could  have  for  nothing  .-*  " 

"  As  I  told  you  before,  you  are  not  anybody  else  ;  so, 
come  along.  You  can  afford  to  buy  what  you  want  We 
should  like  to  see  the  colour  of  your  money." 

"  Merciful  heavens  !  "  the  old  man  whined  once  more. 

"  Now,  none  of  that !  Yes  or  no  .'*  If  you  are  going  to 
buy,  say  so  at  once  ;  if  not,  I  shall  shut  up  shop." 

Hakkabut  knew  well  enough  that  the  orderly  was  not 
a  man  to  be  trifled  with,  and  said,  in  a  tremulous  voice  : 

•'  Yes,  I  will  buy." 

The  professor,  who  had  been  looking  on  with  much 
interest,  betrayed  manifest  symptoms  of  satisfaction, 

"  How  much  do  you  want  .'*  What  will  you  charge 
for  it  ?  "  asked  Isaac,  mournfully,  putting  his  hand  into  his 
pocket  and  chinking  his  money. 

"  Oh,  we  will  deal  gently  with  you.  We  will  not  make 
any  profit  You  shall  have  it  for  the  same  price  that  we 
paid  for  it     Ten  francs  a  pound,  you  know." 

The  Jew  hesitated. 

"  Come  now,  what  is  the  use  of  your  hesitating  ?  Your 
gold  will  have  no  value  when  you  go  back  to  the  world." 

"  What  do  you  mean  .-'  "  asked  Hakkabut,  startled. 

"You  will  find  out  some  day,"  answered  Ben  Zoof, 
significantly. 

Hakkabut  drew  out  a  small  piece  of  gold  from  his 
pocket,  took  it  close  under  the  lamp,  rolled  it  over  in 
his  hand,  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 


THE  PROFESSOR   PERPLEXED.  327 


"  Shall  you  weigh  me  the  coffee  with  my  steelyard  ?  " 
he  asked,  in  a  quavering  voice  that  confirmed  the  profes- 
sor's suspicions. 

"  There  is  nothing  else  to  weigh  it  with ;  you  know 
that  well  enough,  old  Shechem,"  said  Ben  Zoof. 

The  steelyard  was  then  produced  ;  a  tray  was  sus- 
pended to  the  hook,  and  upon  this  coffee  was  thrown  until 
the  needle  registered  the  weight  of  one  pound.  Of  course, 
it  took  seven  pounds  of  coffee  to  do  this. 

"  There  you  are !  There's  your  coffee,  man !  "  Ben 
Zoof  said. 

"  Are  you  sure  ? "  inquired  Hakkabut,  peering  down 
close  to  the  dial.  "Are  you  quite  sure  that  the  needle 
touches  the  point  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  look  and  see.** 

"  Give  it  a  little  push,  please." 

"  Why .?  " 

"  Because — because ** 

"  Well,  because  of  what } "  cried  the  orderly,  impa- 
tiently. 

"  Because  I  think,  perhaps — I  am  not  quite  sure— 
perhaps  the  steelyard  is  not  quite  correct." 

The  words  were  not  uttered  before  the  professor,  fierce 
as  a  tiger,  had  rushed  at  the  Jew,  had  seized  him  by  the 
throat,  and  was  shaking  him  till  he  was  black  in  the  face. 

"  Help  !  help  !  "  screamed  Hakkabut.  "  I  shall  be 
strangled." 

"  Rascal !  consummate  rascal !  thief !  villain  !  "  the  pro- 
fessor reiterated,  and  continued  to  shake  the  Jew  furiously. 

Ben  Zoof  looked  on  and  laughed,  making  no  attempt 
to  interfere  ;  he  had  no  sympathy  with  either  of  the  two 

The  sound  of  the  scuffling,  however,  drew  the  attention 
of  Servadac,  who,  followed  by  his  companions,  hastened  to 
the  scene.     The  combatants  were  soon  parted. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this?"  demanded  the 
captain. 

As  soon  as  the  professor  had  recovered  his  breath, 
exhausted  by  his  exertions,  he  said  : 


328  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

"  The  reprobate,  the  rascal  has  cheated  us !  His  iteeU 
yard  is  wrong  !     He  is  a  thief !  " 

Captain  Servadac  looked  sternly  at  Hakkabut 

"  How  is  this,  Hakkabut  ?     Is  this  a  fact  ? " 

**No,  no — yes — no,  your  Excellency,  only ** 

"He  is  a  cheat,  a  thief!"  roared  the  excited  astronomer. 
"  His  weights  deceive  !  " 

"  Stop,  stop  !  "  interposed  Servadac ;  "  let  us  hear.  Tell 
me,  Hakkabut " 

"  The  steelyard  lies  !  It  cheats !  it  lies  !  "  roared  the 
irrepressible  Rosette. 

"  Tell  me,  Hakkabut,  I  say,"  repeated  Servadac. 

The  Jew  only  kept  on  stammering,  "  Yes — no — I  don't 
know." 

But  heedless  of  any  interruption,  the  professor  con- 
tinued : 

"  False  weights  !  That  confounded  steelyard  !  It  gave 
a  false  result !  The  mass  was  wrong !  The  observa- 
tions contradicted  the  calculations ;  they  were  wrong ! 
She  was  out  of  place !     Yes,  out  of  place  entirely." 

"  What ! "  cried  Servadac  and  Procope  in  a  breath,  "  out 
of  place  ? " 

"  Yes,  completely,"  said  the  professor. 

"  Gallia  out  of  place  .-* "  repeated  Servadac,  agitated 
with  alarm, 

"  I  did  not  say  Gallia,"  replied  Rosette,  stamping  his 
foot  impetuously  ;  "  I  said  Nerina." 

"  Oh,  Nerina,"  answered  Servadac.  "  But  what  of 
Gallia  ? "  he  inquired,  still  nervously. 

"  Gallia,  of  course,  is  on  her  way  to  the  earth.  I  told 
you  so.    But  that  Jew  is  a  rascal  1  '* 


CHAPTER  XVL 

A  JOURNEY  AND  A  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

It  was  as  the  professor  had  said.  From  the  day  that 
Isaac  Hakkabut  had  entered  upon  his  mercantile  career, 
his  deahngs  had  all  been  carried  on  by  a  system  of  false 
weight.  That  deceitful  steelyard  had  been  the  mainspring 
of  his  fortune.  But  when  it  had  become  his  lot  to  be  the 
purchaser  instead  of  the  vendor,  his  spirit  had  groaned 
within  him  at  being  compelled  to  reap  the  fruits  of  his  own 
dishonesty.  No  one  who  had  studied  his  character  could 
be  much  surprised  at  the  confession  that  was  extorted  from 
him,  that  for  every  supposed  kilogramme  that  he  had  ever 
sold  the  true  weight  was  only  750  grammes,  or  just  five 
and  twenty  per  cent,  less  than  it  ought  to  have  been. 

The  professor,  however,  had  ascertained  all  that  he 
wanted  to  know.  By  estimating  his  comet  at  a  third  as 
much  again  as  its  proper  weight,  he  had  found  that  his 
calculations  were  always  at  variance  with  the  observed 
situation  of  the  satellite,  which  was  immediately  influenced 
by  the  mass  of  its  primary. 

But  now,  besides  enjoying  the  satisfaction  of  having 
punished  old  Hakkabut,  Rosette  was  able  to  recommence 
his  calculations  with  reference  to  the  elements  of  Nerina 
upon  a  correct  basis,  a  task  to  which  he  devoted  himseU 
with  redoubled  energy. 

It  will  be  easily  imagined  that  Isaac  Hakkabut,  thus 
caught  in  his  own  trap,  was  jeered  most  unmercifully  by 
those  whom  he  had  attempted  to  make  Iiis  dupes.  Ben  Zoof, 


330  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


in  particular,  was  never  weaned  of  telling  him  how  on  his 
return  to  the  world  he  would  be  prosecuted  for  using  false 
weights,  and  would  certainly  become  acquainted  with  the 
inside  of  a  prison.  Thus  badgered,  he  secluded  himself 
more  than  ever  in  his  dismal  hole,  never  venturing,  except 
when  absolutely  obliged,  to  face  the  other  members  of  the 
community. 

On  the  7th  of  October  the  comet  re-entered  the  zone  of 
the  telescopic  planets,  one  of  which  had  been  captured  as  a 
satellite,  and  the  origin  of  the  whole  of  which  is  most 
probably  correctly  attributed  to  the  disintegration  of  some 
large  planet  that  formerly  revolved  between  the  orbits  of 
Mars  and  Jupiter. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  following  month  half  of  this 
zone  had  been  traversed,  and  only  two  months  remained 
before  the  collision  with  the  earth  was  to  be  expected. 
During  the  month  Gallia  would  travel  40,000,000  leagues 
along  her  orbit,  and  would  approach  to  within  78,000,000 
leagues  of  the  sun. 

The  temperature  was  now  rarely  below  12°  below  zero, 
but  that  was  far  too  cold  to  permit  the  slightest  symptoms 
of  a  thaw.  The  surface  of  the  sea  remained  as  frozen  as 
ever,  and  the  two  vessels,  high  up  on  their  icy  pedestals, 
remained  unaltered  in  their  critical  position. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  question  began  to  be 
mooted  whether  it  would  not  be  right  to  re-open  some 
communication  with  the  Englishmen  at  Gibraltar.  Not 
that  any  doubt  was  entertained  as  to  their  having  been 
able  successfully  to  cope  with  the  rigours  of  the  winter  ; 
but  Captain  Servadac,  in  a  way  that  did  honour  to  his 
generosity,  represented  that,  however  uncourteous  might 
have  been  their  former  behaviour,  it  was  at  least  due  to 
them  that  they  should  be  informed  of  the  true  condition  of 
things,  which  they  had  had  no  opportunity  of  learning-, 
and,  moreover,  that  they  should  be  invited  to  co-operate 
with  the  population  of  Nina's  Hive,  in  the  event  of  any 
measures  being  suggested  by  which  the  shock  of  the 
approaching  collision  could  be  mitigated. 


I 


A  JOURNEY  AND  A  DISAPPOINTMENT.  331 

The  count  and  the  h'eutenant  both  heartily  concurred 
in  Servadac's  sentiments  of  humanity  and  prudence,  and 
all  agreed  that  if  the  intercourse  were  to  be  opened  at  all, 
no  time  could  be  so  suitable  as  the  present,  while  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea  presented  a  smooth  and  solid  footing.  After 
a  thaw  should  set  in,  neither  the  yacht  nor  the  tartan  could 
be  reckoned  on  for  service,  and  it  would  be  inexpedient  to 
make  use  of  the  steam-launch,  for  which  only  a  few  tons 
of  coal  had  been  reserved,  just  sufficient  to  convey  them 
to  Gourbi  Island  when  the  occasion  should  arise ;  whilst  as 
to  the  yawl,  which,  transformed  into  a  sledge,  had  per- 
formed so  successful  a  trip  to  Formentera,  the  absence  of 
wind  would  make  that  quite  unavailable.  It  was  true 
that  with  the  return  of  summer  temperature,  there  would 
be  certain  to  be  a  derangement  in  the  atmosphere  of  Gallia, 
which  would  result  in  wind,  but  for  the  present  the  air  was 
altogether  too  still  for  the  yawl  to  have  any  prospects  oi 
making  its  way  to  Gibraltar, 

The  only  question  remaining  was  as  to  the  possibility 
of  going  on  foot.  The  distance  was  somewhere  about  240 
miles.  Captain  Servadac  declared  himself  quite  equal  to 
the  undertaking.  To  skate  sixty  or  seventy  miles  a  day 
would  be  nothing,  he  said,  to  a  practical  skater  like  him- 
self. The  whole  journey  there  and  back  might  be  per- 
formed in  eight  days.  Provided  with  a  compass,  a  sufficient 
supply  of  cold  meat,  and  a  spirit-lamp,  by  which  he  might 
boil  his  coffee,  he  was  perfectly  sure  he  should,  without  the 
least  difficulty,  accomplish  an  enterprise  that  chimed  in  so 
exactly  with  his  adventurous  spirit. 

Equally  urgent  were  both  the  count  and  the  lieutenant 
to  be  allowed  to  accompany  him  ;  nay,  they  even  offered 
to  go  instead  ;  but  Servadac,  expressing  himself  as  most 
gratfeful  for  their  consideration,  declined  their  offer,  and 
avowed  his  resolution  of  taking  no  other  companion  than 
his  own  orderly. 

Highly  delighted  at  his  master's  decision,  Ben  Zoof  ex- 
pressed his  satisfaction  at  the  prospect  of  "  stretching  hii 
legs  a  bit,"  declaring  that  nothing  could  induce  him  to 
permit  the  captain  to  go  alone. 


33*  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 


There  was  no  delay.  The  departure  was  fixed  for  the 
following  morning,  the  2nd  of  November. 

Although  it  is  not  to  be  questioned  that  a  genuine 
desire  of  doing  an  act  of  kindness  to  his  fellow-creatures 
was  a  leading  motive  of  Servadac's  proposed  visit  to 
Gibraltar,  it  must  be  owned  that  another  idea,  confided 
to  nobody,  least  of  all  to  Count  Timascheff",  had  been 
conceived  in  the  brain  of  the  worthy  Gascon.  Ben  Zoof 
had  an  inkling  that  his  master  was  "up  to  some  other 
little  game,"  when,  just  before  starting,  he  asked  him  pri- 
vately whether  there  was  a  French  tricolour  among  the 
stores, 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  the  orderly. 

"  Then  don't  say  a  word  to  any  one,  but  fasten  it  up 
tight  in  your  knapsack." 

Ben  Zoof  found  the  flag,  and  folded  it  up  as  he  was 
directed. 

Before  proceeding  to  explain  this  somewhat  enigmatical 
conduct  of  Servadac,  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  a  certain 
physiological  fact,  coincident  but  unconnected  with  celes 
tial  phenomena,  originating  entirely  in  the  frailty  of  humar 
nature.  The  nearer  that  Gallia  approached  the  earth,  th<k 
more  a  sort  of  reserve  began  to  spring  up  between  thv 
captain  and  Count  Timascheff  Though  they  could  not 
be  said  to  be  conscious  of  it,  the  remembrance  of  their 
former  rivalry,  so  completely  buried  in  oblivion  for  the  last 
year  and  ten  months,  was  insensibly  recovering  its  hold 
upon  their  minds,  and  the  question  was  all  but  coming  to 
the  surface  as  to  what  would  happen  if,  on  their  return  to 

earth,  the  handsome  Madame  de  L should  still  be  free. 

From  companions  in  peril,  would  they  not  again  be  avowed 
rivals  ?  Conceal  it  as  they  would,  a  coolness  was  un- 
deniably stealing  over  an  intimacy  which,  though  it  could 
never  be  called  afi"ectionate,  had  been  uniformly  friendly 
and  courteous. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  was  not  surprising  that 
Hector  Servadac  should  not  have  confided  to  the  count 
a  project  which,  wild  as  it  was,  could  scarcely  have  failed 


A  JOURNEY  AND  A   DISAPPOINTMENT.  333 


to  widen  the  unacknowledged  breach  that  was  opening  in 
their  friendship. 

The  project  was  this :  it  was  the  annexation  of  Ceuta 
to  the  French  dominion.  The  Englishmen,  rightly  enough, 
had  continued  to  occupy  the  fragment  of  Gibraltar,  and 
their  claim  was  indisputable.  But  the  island  of  Ceuta, 
which  before  the  shock  had  commanded  the  opposite  side 
of  the  strait,  and  had  been  occupied  by  Spaniards,  had 
since  been  abandoned,  and  was  therefore  free  to  the  first 
occupant  who  should  lay  claim  to  it.  To  plant  the  tricolour 
upon  it,  in  the  name  of  France,  was  now  the  cherished  wish 
of  Servadac's  heart. 

"  Who  knows,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  whether  Ceuta,  on 
its  return  to  earth,  may  not  occupy  a  grand  and  command- 
ing situation  ?  What  a  proud  thing  it  would  be  to  have 
secured  its  possession  to  France  ! " 

Next  morning,  as  soon  as  they  had  taken  their  brief 
farewell  of  their  friends,  and  were  fairly  out  of  sight  of  the 
shore,  Servadac  imparted  his  design  to  Ben  Zoof,  who 
entered  into  the  project  with  the  greatest  zest,  and  ex- 
pressed himself  delighted,  not  only  at  the  prospect  of 
adding  to  the  dominions  of  his  beloved  country,  but  of 
stealing  a  march  upon  England.  Then,  as  though  he  was 
marching  on  to  conquest,  he  gave  vent  to  his  enthusiasm 
by  chanting  one  of  his  old  military  refrains  : — 

*'  Onward,  Zephyrs,*  at  daylight's  bloom. 
Tramp,  tramp,  tramp  ! 
Forward,  Zephyrs,  in  evening  gloom. 
Tramp,  tramp,  tramp  I  " 

Both  travellers  were  warmly  clad,  the  orderly's  knap- 
sack containing  all  the  necessary  provisions.  The  journey 
was  accomplished  without  special  incident ;  halts  were 
made  at  regular  intervals,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  food 
and  rest.  The  temperature  by  night  as  well  as  by  day 
was  quite  endurable,  and  on  the  fourth  afternoon  after 
starting,  thanks  to  the  straight  course  which  their  compass 

•  Zephyr  :  an  Algerian  soldier. 


334  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

enabled  them  to  maintain,  the  adventurers  found  them« 
selves  within  a  few  miles  of  Ceuta. 

As  soon  as  Ben  Zoof  caught  sight  of  the  rock  on  the 
western  horizon,  he  was  all  excitement.  Just  as  if  he  were 
in  a  regiment  going  into  action,  he  talked  wildly  about 
"  columns  "  and  "  squares  "  and  "  charges."  The  captain, 
although  less  demonstrative,  was  hardly  less  eager  to  reach 
the  rock.  They  both  pushed  forA^ard  with  all  possible 
speed  till  they  were  within  a  mi'e  and  a  half  of  the  shore, 
when  Ben  Zoof,  who  had  a  very  keen  vision,  stopped 
suddenly,  and  said  that  he  was  sure  he  could  see  some- 
thing moving  on  the  top  of  the  island. 

"  Never  mind,  let  us  hasten  on,"  said  Servadac. 

A  few  minutes  carried  them  over  another  mile,  when 
Ben  Zoof  stopped  again. 

"  What  is  it,  Ben  Zoof.?"  asked  the  captain. 

**  It  looks  to  me  like  a  man  on  the  rock,  waving  his 
arms  in  the  air,"  said  the  orderly. 

"  Plague  on  it !  "  muttered  Servadac  ;  "  I  hope  we  are 
not  too  late." 

Again  they  went  on  ;  but  soon  Ben  Zoof  stopped  for 
the  third  time. 

"  It  is  a  semaphore,  sir  ;  I  see  it  quite  distinctly." 

And  he  was  not  mistaken  ;  it  had  been  a  telegraph  in 
motion  that  had  caught  his  eye. 

"  Plague  on  it !  "  repeated  the  captain. 

"  Too  late,  sir,  do  you  think  ? "  said  Ben  Zoof. 

"  Yes,  Ben  Zoof ;  if  that's  a  telegraph — and  there  is  no 
doubt  of  it — somebody  has  been  before  us  and  erected  it ; 
and,  moreover,  if  it  is  moving,  there  must  be  somebody 
working  it  now." 

He  was  keenly  disappointed. 

Looking  towards  the  north,  he  could  distinguish 
Gibraltar  faintly  visible  in  the  extreme  distance,  and  upon 
the  summit  of  the  rock  both  Ben  Zoof  and  himself  fancied 
they  could  make  out  another  semaphore,  giving  signals,  no 
doubt,  in  response  to  the  one  here. 

"  Yes,  it  is  c  nly  too  clear ;  they  have  already  occupied 


A  JOURNEY  AND  A  DISAPPOINTMENT.  33 S 


it,  and  established  their  communications,"  said  Servadac, 
with  a  sigh. 

"  And  what  are  we  to  do,  then  ? "  asked  Ben  Zoof. 

"  We  must  pocket  our  chagrin,  and  put  as  good  a  face 
ou  the  matter  as  we  can,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  But  perhaps  there  are  only  four  or  five  Englishmen 
to  protect  the  place,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  as  if  meditating  an 
assault. 

"  No,  no,  Ben  Zoof,"  answered  Servadac  ;  "  we  must  do 
nothing  rash.  We  have  had  our  warning,  and,  unless  our 
representations  can  induce  them  to  yield  their  position,  we 
must  resign  our  hope." 

Thus  discomfited,  they  had  reached  the  foot  of  the 
rock,  when  all  at  once,  like  a  "  Jack-in-the-box,"  a  sentinel 
started  up  before  them  with  the  challenge : 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

**  Friends.     Vive  la  France  ! "  cried  the  captain. 

"  Hurrah  for  England  !  "  replied  the  soldier. 

By  this  time  four  other  men  had  made  their  appearance 
from  the  upper  part  of  the  rock. 

"  What  do  you  want  ? "  asked  one  of  them,  whom 
Servadac  remembered  to  have  seen  before  at  Gibraltar. 

"  Can  I  speak  to  your  commanding  officer  .-*  "  Servadac 
inquired. 

"  Which  > "  said  the  man.  "  The  officer  in  command  of 
Ceuta  ? " 

"  Yes,  if  there  is  one.** 

"  I  will  acquaint  him  with  your  arrival,"  answered  the 
Englishman,  and  disappeared. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  commanding  officer,  attired  in  full 
uniform,  was  seen  descending  to  the  shore.  It  was  Major 
Oliphant  himself 

Servadac  could  no  longer  entertain  a  doubt  that  the 
Englishmen  had  forestalled  him  in  the  occupation  of 
Ceuta.  Provisions  and  fuel  had  evidently  been  conveyed 
thither  in  the  boat  from  Gibraltar  before  the  sea  had 
frozen,  and  a  solid  casemate,  hollowed  in  the  rock,  had 
afforded   Major  Oliphant  and  his  contingent   ample  pro- 


336  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

tection  from  the  rigour  of  the  winter.  The  ascending 
smoke  that  rose  above  the  rock  was  sufficient  evidence 
that  good  fires  were  still  kept  up  ;  the  soldiers  appeared  to 
have  thriven  well  on  what,  no  doubt,  had  been  a  generous 
diet,  and  the  major  himself,  although  he  would  scarcely 
have  been  willing  to  allow  it,  was  slightly  stouter  than 
before. 

Being  only  about  twelve  miles  distant  from  Gibraltar, 
the  little  garrison  at  Ceuta  had  felt  itself  by  no  means 
isolated  in  its  position ;  but  by  frequent  excursions  across 
the  frozen  strait,  and  by  the  constant  use  of  the  telegraph, 
had  kept  up  their  communication  with  their  fellow-country- 
men on  the  other  island.  Colonel  Murphy  and  the  major 
had  not  even  been  forced  to  forego  the  pleasures  of  the 
chess-board.  The  game  that  had  been  interrupted  by 
Captain  Servadac's  former  visit  was  not  yet  concluded  : 
but,  like  the  two  American  clubs  that  played  their  cele- 
brated game  in  1846  between  Washington  and  Baltimore, 
the  two  gallant  officers  made  use  of  the  semaphore  to  com- 
municate their  well-digested  moves. 

The  major  stood  waiting  for  his  visitor  to  speak. 

"Major  Oliphant,  I  beheve?"  said  Servadac,  with  a 
courteous  bow. 

"Yes,  sir,  Major  Oliphant,  officer  in  command  of  the 
garrison  at  Ceuta,"  was  the  Englishman's  reply.  "  And  to 
whom,"  he  added,  "  may  I  have  the  honour  of  speaking  ?  " 

"To  Captain  Servadac,  the  Governour- General  of 
Gallia." 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  the  major,  with  a  supercilious  look. 

"Allow  me  to  express  my  surprise,"  resumed  the 
captain,  "at  seeing  you  installed  as  commanding  officer 
upon  what  I  have  always  understood  to  be  Spanish  soil. 
May  I  demand  your  claim  to  your  position  ? " 

"  My  claim  is  that  of  first  occupant." 

"  But  do  you  not  think  that  the  party  of  Spaniards  now 
resident  with  me  may  at  some  future  time  assert  a  prior 
right  to  the  proprietorship  ?  " 

I  think  not.  Captain  Servadac." 


« 


"  Major  OHphant,  I  believe  ? " 


A  JOURNEY  AND  A  DISAPPOINTMENT.  337 


"  But  why  not  ?  "  persisted  the  captain. 

"  Because  these  very  Spaniards  have,  by  formal  con. 
tract,  made  over  Ceuta,  in  its  integrity,  to  the  British 
Government." 

Servadac  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"And  as  the  price  of  that  important  cession,"  continued 
Major  Oliphant,  "  they  have  received  a  fair  equivalent  in 
British  gold." 

"Ah!"  cried  Ben  Zoof,  "that  accounts  for  that  fellow 
Negrete  and  his  people  having  such  a  lot  of  money." 

Servadac  was  silent.  It  had  become  clear  to  his  mind 
what  had  been  the  object  of  that  secret  visit  to  Ceuta 
which  he  had  heard  of  as  being  made  by  the  two  English 
officers.  The  arguments  that  he  had  intended  to  use  had 
completely  fallen  through  ;  all  that  he  had  now  to  do  was 
carefully  to  prevent  any  suspicion  of  his  disappointed 
project. 

"  May  I  be  allowed  to  ask,  Captain  Servadac,  to  what 
I  am  indebted  for  the  honour  of  this  visit  ?"  asked  Major 
Oliphant  presently. 

"I  have  come,  Major  Oliphant,  in  the  hope  of  doing 
you  and  your  companions  a  service,"  replied  Servadac, 
rousing  himself  from  his  reverie. 

"Ah,  indeed  !  "  replied  the  major,  as  though  he  felt  him- 
self quite  independent  of  all  services  from  exterior  sources. 

"  I  thought,  major,  that  it  was  not  unlikely  you  were  in 
ignorance  of  the  fact  that  both  Ceuta  and  Gibraltar  have 
been  traversing  the  solar  regions  on  the  surface  of  a  comet." 

The  major  smiled  incredulously  ;  but  Servadac,  nothing 
daunted,  went  on  to  detail  the  results  of  the  collision 
between  the  comet  and  the  earth,  adding  that,  as  there  was 
the  almost  immediate  prospect  of  another  concussion,  it 
had  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  be  advisable  for  the 
whole  population  of  Gallia  to  unite  in  taking  precautionary 
measures  for  the  common  welfare. 

"  In  fact,  Major  Oliphant,"  he  said  in  conclusion,  "  I 
am  here  to  inquire  whether  you  and  your  friends  would  be 
disposed  to  join  us  in  our  present  quarters." 


338  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


"  I  am  obliged  to  you,  Captain  Servadac,"  answerea  the 
major  stiffly ;  "  but  we  have  not  the  slightest  intention  of 
abandoning  our  post.  We  have  received  no  Government 
orders  to  that  effect ;  indeed,  we  have  received  no  orders 
at  all.  Our  own  despatch  to  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admi- 
ralty still  awaits  the  mail." 

"  But  allow  me  to  repeat,"  insisted  Servadac,  "  that  ws 
are  no  longer  on  the  earth,  although  we  expect  to  come  in 
contact  with  it  again  in  about  eight  weeks." 

"  I  have  no  doubt,"  the  major  answered,  "  that  England 
will  make  every  effort  to  reclaim  us." 

Servadac  felt  perplexed.  It  was  quite  evident  that 
Major  Oliphant  had  not  been  convinced  of  the  truth  of  one 
syllable  of  what  he  had  been  saying. 

"  Then  I  am  to  understand  that  you  are  determined  to 
retain  your  two  garrisons  here  and  at  Gibraltar  ? "  asked 
Servadac,  with  one  last  effort  at  persuasion. 

"  Certainly ;  these  two  posts  command  the  entrance  of 
the  Mediterranean." 

"  But  supposing  there  is  no  longer  any  Mediterranean  ?  ** 
retorted  the  captain,  growing  impatient. 

"Oh,  England  will  always  take  care  of  that,"  was 
Major  Oliphant's  cool  reply.  "  But  excuse  me,"  he 
added  presently ;  "  I  see  that  Colonel  Murphy  has  just 
telegraphed  his  next  move.  Allow  me  to  wish  you  good 
afternoon." 

And  without  further  parley,  followed  by  his  soldiers,  he 
retired  into  the  casemate,  leaving  Captain  Servadac  gnaw- 
ing his  moustache  with  mingled  rage  and  mortification. 

"A  fine  piece  of  business  we  have  made  of  this  !  "  said 
Ben  Zoof,  when  he  found  himself  alone  with  his  master. 

"We  will  make  our  way  back  at  once,"  replied 
Servadac. 

"Yes,  the  sooner  the  better,  with  our  tails  between  our 
legs,"  rejoined  the  orderly,  who  this  time  felt  no  inclination 
to  start  off  to  the  march  of  the  Algerian  zephyrs. 

And  so  the  French  tricolour  returned  as  it  had  set  out 
— in  Ben  Zoof  s  knapsackj 


\ 


A  JOURNEY  AND  A  DISAPPOINTMENT.  33^ 

On  the  eighth  evening  after  starting,  the  travellers  again 
set  foot  on  the  volcanic  promontory  just  in  time  to  witness 
a  great  commotion. 

Palmyrin  Rosette  was  in  a  furious  rage. 

He  had  completed  all  his  calculations  about  Nerina, 
but  that  perfidious  satellite  had  totally  disappeared. 

The  astronomer  was  frantic  at  the  loss  of  his  moon. 

Captured  probably  by  some  larger  body,  it  was  re- 
volving in  its  proper  zone  of  the  minor  planets. 


CHAPTER    XVIL 

A    BOLD    PROPOSITION. 

On  his  return  Servadac  communicated  to  the  count  the 

result  of  his  expedition,  and,  though  perfectly  silent  on 
the  subject  of  his  personal  project,  did  not  conceal  the  fact 
that  the  Spaniards,  without  the  smallest  right,  had  sold 
Ceuta  to  the  English. 

Having  refused  to  quit  their  post,  the  Englishmen  had 
virtually  excluded  themselves  from  any  further  considera- 
tion ;  they  had  had  their  warning,  and  must  now  take  the 
consequences  of  their  own  incredulity. 

Although  it  had  proved  that  not  a  single  creature 
either  at  Gourbi  Island,  Gibraltar,  Ceuta,  Madalena,  or 
Formentera  had  received  any  injury  whatever  at  the  time 
of  the  first  concussion,  there  was  nothing  in  the  least  to 
make  it  certain  that  a  like  immunity  from  harm  would 
attend  the  second.  The  previous  escape  was  doubtless 
owing  to  some  slight,  though  unaccountable,  modification 
in  the  rate  of  motion ;  but  whether  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  had  fared  so  fortunately,  was  a  question  that  had  still 
to  be  determined. 

The  day  following  Servadac's  return,  he  and  the  count 
and  Lieutenant  Procope  met  by  agreement  in  the  cave, 
formally  to  discuss  what  would  be  the  most  advisable 
method  of  proceeding  under  their  present  prospects.  Ben 
Zoof  was,  as  a  matter  of  course,  allowed  to  be  present,  and 
Professor  Rosette  had  been  asked  to  attend ;  but  he  de« 


A  BOLD   PROPOSITION.  341 

dined  on  the  plea  of  taking  no  interest  in  the  matter. 
Indeed,  the  disappearance  of  his  moon  had  utterly  discon- 
certed him,  and  the  probability  that  he  should  soon  lose 
his  comet  also,  plunged  him  into  an  excess  of  grief  which 
he  preferred  to  bear  in  solitude. 

Although  the  barrier  of  cool  reserve  was  secretly  in- 
creasing between  the  captain  and  the  count,  they  sciTjpu- 
lously  concealed  any  outward  token  of  their  inner  feelings, 
and  without  any  personal  bias  applied  their  best  energies 
to  the  discussion  of  the  question  which  was  of  such  mutual, 
nay,  of  such  universal  interest. 

Servadac  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  Tn  fifty-one  days,  if  Professor  Rosette  has  made  no 
error  in  his  calculations,  there  is  to  be  a  recurrence  of 
collision  between  this  comet  and  the  earth.  The  inquiry 
that  we  have  now  to  make  is  whether  we  are  prepared  for 
the  coming  shock.  I  ask  myself,  and  I  ask  you,  whethei 
it  is  in  our  power,  by  any  means,  to  avert  the  evil  conse- 
quences that  are  only  too  likely  to  follow  ? " 

Count  Timascheff,  in  a  voice  that  seemed  to  thrill  with 
solemnity,  said : 

"In  such  events  we  are  at  the  disposal  of  an  over- 
ruling Providence ;  human  precautions  cannot  sway  the 
Divine  will." 

"  But  with  the  most  profound  reverence  for  the  will  of 
Providence,"  replied  the  captain,  "  I  beg  to  submit  that 
it  is  our  duty  to  devise  whatever  means  we  can  to  escape 
the  threatening  mischief.  Heaven  helps  them  that  help 
themselves." 

"  And  what  means  have  you  to  suggest,  may  I  ask  }  " 
5-aid  the  count,  with  a  faint  accent  of  satire. 

Servadac  was  forced  to  ackn  >\vledge  that  nothing 
tangible  had  hitherto  presented  i.^el"  to  his  mind. 

•'  I  don't  want  to  intrude,"  observed  Ben  Zoof,  "  but 
I  don't  understand  why  such  learned  gentlemen  as  you 
cannot  make  the  comet  go  where  you  want  it  to  go." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Ben  Zoof,  about  our  learning," 
said  the  captain ;  "  even   Professor   Rosette,  with  all  his 


342  HECTOR  SERVADAC     . 

learning,  has  not  a  shadow  of  power  to  prevent  the  comet 
and  the  earth  from  knocking  against  each  other." 

"  Then  I  cannot  see  what  is  the  use  of  all  this  learn- 
ing," the  orderly  replied. 

"  One  great  use  of  learning,"  said  Count  Timascheff, 
with  a  smile,  "  is  to  make  us  know  our  own  ignorance." 

While  this  conversation  had  been  going  on,  Lieutenant 
Procope  had  been  sitting  in  thoughtful  silence.  Looking 
up,  he  now  said  : 

"Incident  to  this  expected  shock,  there  may  be  a 
variety  of  dangers.  If,  gentlemen,  you  will  allow  me,  I 
will  enumerate  them  ;  and  we  shall,  perhaps,  by  taking 
them  seriati?n,  be  in  a  better  position  to  judge  whether  we 
can  successfully  grapple  with  them,  or  in  any  way  mitigate 
their  consequences." 

There  was  a  general  attitude  of  attention.  It  was  sur- 
prising how  calmly  they  proceeded  to  discuss  the  circum- 
stances that  looked  so  threatening  and  ominous. 

"  First  of  all,"  resumed  the  lieutenant,  "  we  will  specify 
the  different  ways  in  which  the  shock  may  happen." 

"  And  the  prime  fact  to  be  remembered,"  interposed 
Servadac,  "  is  that  the  combined  velocity  of  the  two  bodies 
will  be  about  21,000  miles  an  hour." 

"  Express  speed,  and  no  mistake  ! "  muttered  Ben  Zoof. 

"Just  so,"  assented  Procope.  "Now,  the  two  bodies 
may  impinge  either  directly  or  obliquely.  If  the  impact  is 
sufficiently  oblique,  Gallia  may  do  precisely  what  she  did 
before  :  she  may  graze  the  earth  ;  she  may,  or  she  may 
not,  carry  off  a  portion  of  the  earth's  atmosphere  and 
substance,  and  so  she  may  float  away  again  into  space  ; 
but  her  orbit  would  undoubtedly  be  deranged,  and  if  we 
survive  the  shock,  we  shall  have  small  chance  of  ever 
returning  to  the  world  of  our  fellow-creatures." 

"  Professor  Rosette,  I  suppose,"  Ben  Zoof  remarked, 
"would  pretty  soon  find  out  all  about  that." 

"  But  we  will  leave  this  hypothesis,"  said  the  lieutenant ; 
"  our  own  experience  has  suiificiently  shown  us  its  advan- 
tages and  its  disadvantages.     We  will  proceed  to  considej 


A   BOLD   PROPOSITION.  343 


the  infinitely  more  serious  alternative  of  direct  impact ;  of 
a  shock  that  would  hurl  the  comet  straight  on  to  the  earth, 
to  which  it  would  become  attached." 

"  A  great  wart  upon  her  face ! "  said  Ben  Zoof, 
laughing. 

The  captain  held  up  his  finger  to  his  orderly,  making 
him  understand  that  he  should  hold  his  tongue. 

"  It  is,  I  presume,  to  be  taken  for  granted,"  continued 
Lieutenant  Procope,  "  that  the  mass  of  the  earth  is  com- 
paratively so  large  that,  in  the  event  of  a  direct  collision, 
her  own  motion  would  not  be  sensibly  retarded,  and  that 
she  would  carry  the  comet  along  with  her,  as  part  of 
herself." 

"Very  little  question  of  that,  I  should  think,"  said 
Servadac. 

"Well,  then,"  the  lieutenant  went  on,  "  what  part  of  this 
comet  of  ours  will  be  the  part  to  come  into  collision  with 
the  earth  ?  It  may  be  the  equator,  where  we  are  ;  it  may 
be  at  the  exactly  opposite  point,  at  our  antipodes  ;  or  it 
may  be  at  either  pole.  In  any  case,  it  seems  hard  to 
foresee  whence  there  is  to  come  the  faintest  chance  of 
deliverance," 

"  Is  the  case  so  desperate  ?  "  asked  Servadac. 

"  I  will  tell  you  why  it  seems  so.  If  the  side  of  the 
comet  on  which  we  are  resident  impinges  on  the  earth,  it 
stands  to  reason  that  we  must  be  crushed  to  atoms  by  the 
violence  of  the  concussion." 

"  Regular  mincemeat ! "  said  Ben  Zoof,  whom  no  ad- 
monitions could  quite  reduce  to  silence. 

"And  if,"  said  the  lieutenant,  after  a  moment's  pause, 
and  the  slightest  possible  frown  at  the  interruption — "and 
if  the  collision  should  occur  at  our  antipodes,  the  sudden 
check  to  the  velocity  of  the  comet  would  be  quite  equiva- 
lent to  a  shock  m  situ;  and,  another  thing,  we  should 
run  the  risk  of  being  suffocated,  for  all  our  comet's  atmo- 
sphere would  be  assimilated  with  the  terrestrial  atmosphere, 
and  we,  supposing  we  were  not  dashed  to  atoms,  should  be 
left  as  it  were  upon  the  summit  of  an  enormous  mountain 


344  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

(for  such  to  all  intents  and  purposes  Gallia  would  be),  450 
miles  above  the  level  of  the  surface  of  the  globe,  without 
a  particle  of  air  to  breathe." 

"  But  would  not  our  chances  of  escape  be  considerably- 
better,"  asked  Count  Timaschefif,  "  in  the  event  of  either  of 
the  comet's  poles  being  the  point  of  contact  ?  " 

"  Taking  the  combined  velocity  into  account,"  answered 
the  lieutenant,  "  I  confess  that  I  fear  the  violence  of  the 
shock  will  be  too  great  to  permit  our  destruction  to  be 
averted." 

A  general  silence  ensued,  which  was  broken  by  the 
lieutenant  himselt. 

"  Even  if  none  of  these  contingencies  occur  in  the  way 
we  have  contemplated,  I  am  driven  to  the  suspicion  that 
we  shall  be  burnt  alive." 

"  Burnt  alive ! "  they  all  exclaimed  in  a  chorus  of 
horror. 

"  Yes.  If  the  deductions  of  modern  science  be  true,  the 
speed  of  the  comet,  when  suddenly  checked,  will  be  trans- 
muted into  heat,  and  that  heat  will  be  so  intense  that  the 
temperature  of  the  comet  will  be  raised  to  some  millions  of 
degrees." 

No  one  having  anything  definite  to  allege  in  reply  to 
Lieutenant  Procope's  forebodings,  they  all  relapsed  into 
silence. 

Presently  Ben  Zoof  asked  whether  it  was  not  possible 
for  the  comet  to  fall  into  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic. 

Procope  shook  his  head. 

"  Even  so,  we  should  only  be  adding  the  fate  of  drown- 
ing to  the  list  of  our  other  perils." 

"  Then,  as  I  understand,"  said  Captain  Servadac,  "  in 
whatever  way  or  in  whatever  place  the  concussion  occurs, 
we  must  be  either  crushed,  suffocated,  roasted,  or  drowned. 
Is  that  your  conclusion,  lieutenant  ?  " 

"  I  confess  I  see  no  other  alternative,"  answered  Pro- 
cope,  calmly. 

"  But  isn't  there  another  thing  to  be  done  ?  "  said  Ben 
Zoof. 


A  BOLD   PROPOSITION.  345 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  his  master  asked. 

"  Why,  to  get  off  the  comet  before  the  shock  comes." 

**  How  could  you  get  off  Gallia  ?  " 

"  That  I  can't  say,"  replied  the  orderly. 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  that  could  not  be  accomplished," 
said  the  lieutenant. 

All  eyes  in  a  moment  were  riveted  upon  him,  as,  with 
his  head  resting  on  his  hands,  he  was  manifestly  cogitating 
a  new  idea. 

•  Yes,  I  think  it  could  be  accomplished,"  he  repeated. 
"The  project  may  appear  extravagant,  but  I  do  not  know 
why  it  should  be  impossible.  Ben  Zoof  has  hit  the  right 
nail  on  the  head ;  we  must  try  and  leave  Gallia  before  the 
shock." 

"  Leave  Gallia !     How  }  "  said  Count  Timascheff. 

The  lieutenant  did  not  at  once  reply.  He  continued 
pondering  for  a  time,  and  at  last  said,  slowly  and 
distinctly  : 

"  By  making  a  balloon  I  *' 

Servadac's  heart  sank. 

*'  A  balloon  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Out  of  the  question  ! 
Balloons  are  exploded  things.  You  hardly  find  them  in 
novels.     Balloon,  indeed  !  " 

"  Listen  to  me,"  replied  Procope.  "  Perhaps  I  can 
convince  you  that  my  idea  is  not  so  chimerical  as  you 
imagine." 

And,  knitting  his  brow,  he  proceeded  to  establish  the 
feasibility  of  his  plan. 

"  If  we  can  ascertain  the  precise  moment  when  the 
shock  is  to  happen,  and  can  succeed  in  launching  ourselves 
a  sufficient  time  beforehand  into  Gallia's  atmosphere,  I 
believe  it  will  transpire  that  this  atmosphere  will  amalga- 
mate with  that  of  the  earth,  and  that  a  balloon  whirled 
along  by  the  combined  velocity  would  glide  into  the 
mingled  atmosphere  and  remain  suspended  in  mid-air 
until  the  shock  of  the  collision  is  overpast." 

Count  Timascheff  reflected  for  a  minute,  and  said — 

**I  think,  lieutenant,  I  understand  your  project.     The 


34^  HECTOR   SERVADAC. 

scheme  seems  tenable  ;  and  I  shall  be  ready  to  co-operate 
with  you,  to  the  best  of  my  power,  in  putting  it  into 
execution." 

"  Only,  remember,"  continued  Procope,  "  there  are  many 
chances  to  one  against  our  success.  One  instant's  ob- 
struction and  stoppage  in  our  passage,  and  our  balloon  is 
burnt  to  ashes.  Still,  reluctant  as  I  am  to  acknowledge  it, 
I  confess  that  I  feel  our  sole  hope  of  safety  rests  in  our 
getting  free  from  this  comet." 

"If  the  chances  were  ten  thousand  to  one  against 
us,"  said  Servadac,  "I  think  the  attempt  ought  to  be 
made." 

"  But  have  we  hydrogen  enough  to  inflate  a  balloon  }  " 
asked  the  count. 

"  Hot  air  will  be  all  that  we  shall  require,"  the  lieuten- 
ant answered  ;  "  we  are  only  contemplating  about  an  hour's 
journey." 

"  Ah,  a  fire  balloon  !  A  montgolfier  !  "  cried  Servadac. 
"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  for  a  casing  ? " 

"  I  have  thought  of  that.  We  must  cut  it  out  of  the 
sails  of  the  Dobryna ;  they  are  both  light  and  strong," 
rejoined  the  lieutenant. 

Count  Timascheff  complimented  the  lieutenant  upon 
his  ingenuity,  and  Ben  Zoof  could  not  resist  bringing  the 
meeting  to  a  conclusion  by  a  ringing  cheer. 

Truly  daring  was  the  plan  of  which  Lieutenant  Procope 
had  thus  become  the  originator ;  but  the  very  existence  of 
them  all  was  at  stake,  and  the  design  must  be  executed 
resolutely. 

For  the  success  of  the  enterprise  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  know,  almost  to  a  minute,  the  precise  time  at 
which  the  collision  would  occur,  and  Captain  Servadac 
undertook  the  task,  by  gentle  means  or  by  stern,  of  ex- 
tracting the  secret  from  the  professor. 

To  Lieutenant  Procope  himself  was  entrusted  the 
superintendence  of  the  construction  of  the  montgolfier, 
and  the  work  was  begun  at  once.  It  was  to  be  large 
enough  to  carry  the  whole  of  the  twenty-three  residents  in 


A  BOLD   PROPOSITION.  347 

the  volcano,  and,  in  order  to  provide  the  means  of  floating 
aloft  long  enough  to  give  time  for  selecting  a  proper  place 
for  descent,  the  lieutenant  was  anxious  to  make  it  carry 
enough  hay  or  straw  to  maintain  combustion  for  a  while, 
and  keep  up  the  necessary  supply  of  heated  air. 

The  sails  of  the  Dobryna,  which  had  all  been  carefully 
stowed  away  in  the  Hive,  were  of  a  texture  unusually  close, 
and  quite  capable  of  being  made  airtight  by  means  of  a 
varnish,  the  ingredients  of  which  were  rummaged  out  of 
the  promiscuous  stores  of  the  tartan.  The  lieutenant  him- 
self traced  out  the  pattern  and  cut  out  the  strips,  and  all 
hands  were  employed  in  seaming  them  together.  It  was 
hardly  the  work  for  little  fingers,  but  Nina  persisted  in 
accomplishing  her  own  share  of  it.  The  Russians  were 
quite  at  home  at  occupation  of  this  sort,  and  having  initi- 
ated the  Spaniards  into  its  mysteries,  the  task  of  joining 
together  the  casing  was  soon  complete.  Isaac  Hakkabut 
and  the  professor  were  the  only  two  members  of  the 
community  who  took  no  part  in  this  somewhat  tedious 
proceeding. 

A  month  passed  away,  but  Servadac  found  no  oppor- 
tunity of  getting  at  the  information  he  had  pledged  himself 
to  gain.  On  the  sole  occasion  when  he  had  ventured  to 
broach  the  subject  with  the  astronomer,  he  had  received 
for  answer  that  as  there  was  no  hurry  to  get  back  to  the 
earth,  there  need  be  no  concern  about  any  dangers  of 
transit. 

Indeed,  as  time  passed  on,  the  professor  seemed  to 
become  more  and  more  inaccessible.  A  plea.sant  temper- 
ature enabled  him  to  live  entirely  in  his  observatory,  from 
which  intruders  were  rigidly  shut  out.  But  Servadac 
bided  his  time.  He  grew  more  and  more  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  finding  out  the  exact  moment  at  which 
the  impact  would  take  place,  but  was  content  to  wait  for  a 
promising  opportunity  to  put  any  fresh  questions  on  the 
subject  to  the  too  reticent  astronomer. 

Meanwhile,  the  earth's  disc  was  daily  increasing  in 
magnitude  ;  the  comet  travelled  50,000,000  leagues  during 


348  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


the  month,  at  the  close  of  which  it  was  not  more  than 

78,000,000  leagues  from  the  sun. 

A  thaw  had  now  fairly  set  in.  The  breaking  up  of  the 
frozen  ocean  was  a  magnificent  spectacle,  and  "  the  great 
voice  of  the  sea,"  as  the  whalers  graphically  describe  it, 
was  heard  in  all  its  solemnity.  Little  streams  of  water 
began  to  trickle  down  the  declivities  of  the  mountain  and 
along  the  shelving  shore,  only  to  be  transformed,  as  the 
melting  of  the  snow  continued,  into  torrents  or  cascades. 
Light  vapours  gathered  on  the  horizon,  and  clouds  were 
formed  and  carried  rapidly  along  by  breezes  to  which 
the  Gallian  atmosphere  had  long  been  unaccustomed.  All 
these  were  doubtless  but  the  prelude  to  atmospheric  dis- 
turbances of  a  more  startling  character  ;  but  as  indications 
of  returning  spring,  they  were  greeted  with  a  welcome 
which  no  apprehensions  for  the  future  could  prevent  being 
glad  and  hearty. 

A  double  disaster  was  the  inevitable  consequence  of 
the  thaw.  Both  the  schooner  and  the  tartan  were  entirely 
destroyed.  The  basement  of  the  icy  pedestal  on  which 
the  ships  had  been  upheaved  was  gradually  undermined, 
like  the  icebergs  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  by  warm  currents  of 
water,  and  on  the  night  of  the  12th  the  huge  block  col- 
lapsed 6)1  masse,  so  that  on  the  following  morning  nothing 
remained  of  the  Dobryna  and  the  Hansa  except  the  frag- 
ments scattered  on  the  shore. 

Although  certainly  expected,  the  catastrophe  could  not 
fail  to  cause  a  sense  of  general  depression.  Well-nigh  one 
of  their  last  ties  to  Mother  Earth  had  been  broken :  the 
ships  were  gone,  and  they  had  only  a  balloon  to  replace 
them  ! 

To  describe  Isaac  Hakkabut's  rage  at  the  destruction 
of  the  tartan  would  be  impossible.  His  oaths  were  simply 
dreadful  ;  his  imprecations  on  the  accursed  race  were  full 
of  wrath.  He  swore  that  Servadac  and  his  people  were 
responsible  for  his  loss  ;  he  vowed  that  they  should  be 
sued  and  made  to  pay  him  damages  ;  he  asserted  that  he 
had  been  brought  from  Gourbi  Island  only  to  be  plundered; 


A  BOLD   PROPOSITION.  349 


in  fact,  he  became  so  intolerably  abusive,  that  Servadac 
threatened  to  put  him  into  irons  unless  he  conducted  him- 
self properly ;  whereupon  the  Jew,  finding  that  the  captain 
was  in  earnest,  and  would  not  hesitate  to  carry  the  threat 
into  effect,  was  fain  to  hold  his  tongue,  and  slunk  back 
into  his  dim  hole. 

By  the  14th  the  balloon  was  finished,  and,  carefully 
sewn  and  well  varnished  as  it  had  been,  it  was  really  a 
very  substantial  structure.  It  was  covered  with  a  network 
that  had  been  made  from  the  light  rigging  of  the  yacht, 
and  the  car,  composed  of  wicker-work  that  had  formed 
partitions  in  the  hold  of  the  Hansa,  was  quite  commodious 
enough  to  hold  the  twenty-three  passengers  it  was  intended 
to  convey.  No  thought  had  been  bestowed  upon  comfort 
or  convenience,  as  the  ascent  was  to  last  for  so  short  a 
time,  merely  long  enough  for  making  the  transit  from 
atmosphere  to  atmosphere. 

The  necessity  was  becoming  more  and  more  urgent  to 
get  at  the  true  hour  of  the  approaching  contact,  but  the 
professor  seemed  to  grow  more  obstinate  than  ever  in  his 
resolution  to  keep  his  secret. 

On  the  15th  the  comet  crossed  the  orbit  of  Mars,  at  the 
safe  distance  of  56,000,000  leagues  ;  but  during  that  night 
the  community  thought  that  their  last  hour  had  taken 
them  unawares.  The  volcano  rocked  and  trembled  with 
the  convulsions  of  internal  disturbance,  and  Servadac  and 
his  companions,  convinced  that  the  mountain  was  doomed 
to  some  sudden  disruption,  rushed  into  the  open  air. 

The  first  object  that  caught  their  attention  as  they 
emerged  upon  the  open  rocks  was  the  unfortunate  pro- 
fessor, who  was  scrambling  down  the  mountain-side, 
piteously  displaying  a  fragment  of  his  shattered  tele- 
scope. 

It  was  no  time  for  condolence. 

A  new  marvel  arrested  every  eye.  A  fresh  satellite, 
in  the  gloom  of  night,  was  shining  conspicuously  before 
them. 

That  satellite  was  a  part  of  Gallia  itself  I 


Sf"  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

By  the  expansive  action  of  the  inner  heat,  Gallia,  like 
Gambart's  comet,  had  been  severed  in  twain  ;  an  enormous 
fragment  had  been  detached  and  launched  into  space ! 

The  fragment  included  Ceuta  and  Gibraltar,  with  the 
two  English  garrisons  I 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

THE  VENTURE  MADE. 

What  would  be  the  consequences  of  this  sudden  and  com- 
plete disruption,  Servadac  and  his  people  hardly  dared  to 
think. 

The  ^rst  change  that  came  under  their  observation  was 
the  rapidity  of  the  sun's  appearances  and  disappearances, 
forcing  them  to  the  conviction  that  although  the  comet 
still  rotated  on  its  axis  from  east  to  west,  yet  the  period  of 
its  rotation  had  been  diminished  by  about  one-half.  Only 
six  hours  instead  of  twelve  elapsed  between  sunrise  and 
sunrise  ;  three  hours  after  rising  in  the  west  the  sun  was 
sinking  again  in  the  east. 

"We  are  coming  to  something!  "  exclaimed  Servadac. 
"We  have  got  a  year  of  something  like  2880  days." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  find 
saints  enough  for  such  a  calendar  as  that ! "  said  Ben  Zoof, 

Servadac  laughed,  and  remarked  that  they  should  have 
the  professor  talking  about  the  238th  of  June,  and  the 
325th  of  December. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  detached  portion  was 
not  revolving  round  the  comet,  but  was  gradually  re- 
treating into  space.  Whether  it  had  carried  with  it  any 
portion  of  atmosphere,  whether  it  possessed  any  other 
condition  for  supporting  life,  and  whether  it  was  likely 
ever  again  to  approach  to  the  earth,  were  all  questions  that 
there  were  no  means  of  determining.     Fnx  themselves  the 


352  HECTOR   SERVADAC 

all-important  problem  was — what  effect  would  the  rending 
asunder  of  the  comet  have  upon  its  rate  of  progress  ?  and 
as  they  were  already  conscious  of  a  further  increase  oi 
muscular  power,  and  a  fresh  diminution  of  specific  gravity, 
Servadac  and  his  associates  could  not  but  wonder  whether 
the  alteration  in  the  mass  of  the  comet  would  not  result  in 
its  missing  the  expected  coincidence  with,  the  earth  alto- 
gether. 

Although  he  professed  himself  incompetent  to  pro- 
nounce a  decided  opinion,  Lieutenant  Procope  manifestly 
inclined  to  the  belief  that  no  alteration  would  ensue  in  the 
rate  of  Gallia's  velocity ;  but  Rosette,  no  doubt,  could 
answer  the  question  directly,  and  the  time  had  now 
arrived  in  which  he  must  be  compelled  to  divulge  the 
precise  moment  of  collision. 

But  the  professor  was  in  the  worst  of  tempers.  Gene- 
rally taciturn  and  morose,  he  was  more  tlian  usually 
uncivil  whenever  any  one  ventured  to  speak  to  him.  The 
loss  of  his  telescope  had  doubtless  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
his  ill-humour  ;  but  the  captain  drew  the  most  favourable 
conclusions  from  Rosette's  continued  irritation.  Had  the 
comet  been  in  any  way  projected  from  its  course,  so  as 
to  be  likely  to  fail  in  coming  into  contact  with  the  earth, 
the  professor  would  have  been  quite  unable  to  conceal  his 
satisfaction.  But  they  required  to  know  more  than  the 
general  truth,  and  felt  that  they  had  no  time  to  lose  in 
getting  at  the  exact  details. 

The  opportunity  that  was  wanted  soon  came. 

On  the  1 8th,  Rosette  was  overheard  in  furious  alterca- 
tion with  Ben  Zoof  The  orderly  had  been  taunting  the 
astronomer  with  the  mutilation  of  his  little  comet.  A  fine 
thing,  he  said,  to  split  in  two  like  a  child's  toy.  It  had 
cracked  like  a  dry  nut ;  and  mightn't  one  as  well  live 
upon  an  exploding  bomb  i* — with  much  more  to  the  same 
effect.  The  professor,  by  way  of  retaliation,  had  com- 
menced sneering  at  the  "prodigious"  mountain  of  Mont- 
martre,  and  the  dispute  was  beginning  to  look  serious 
when  Servadac  entered. 


THE    Vi^iNTURE   MADE.  353 


Thinking  he  could  turn  the  wrangling  to  some  good 
account,  so  as  to  arrive  at  the  information  he  was  so 
anxiously  seeking,  the  captain  pretended  to  espouse  the 
views  of  his  orderly ;  he  consequently  brought  upon  him- 
self the  full  force  of  the  professor's  wrath. 

Rosette's  language  became  more  and  more  violent, 
till  Servadac,  feigning  to  be  provoked  beyond  endurance, 
cried  : 

"  You  forget,  sir,  that  you  are  addressing  the  Governour- 
General  of  Gallia" 

"  Governour-General  !  humbug  !  "  roared  Rosette. 
"  Gallia  is  my  comet ! " 

"  I  deny  it,"  said  Servada*  **  Gallia  has  lost  its  chance 
of  getting  back  to  the  earth.  Gallia  has  nothing  to  do 
with  you.  Gallia  is  mine ;  and  you  must  submit  to  the 
government  which  I  please  to  ordain." 

"And  who  told  yoci  diat  Gallia  is  not  going  back  to 
the  earth  .-* "  asked  the  professor,  with  a  look  of  withering 
scorn. 

"Why,  isn't  her  mass  diminished  ?  Isn't  she  split  in 
half  ?  Isn't  her  velocity  all  altered  ?  "  demanded  the 
captain. 

"  And  pray  who  told  you  this  ? "  again  said  the  pro- 
fessor, with  a  sneer. 

"  Everybody.  Everybody  knows  it,  of  course,"  replied 
Servadac. 

"  Everybody  is  very  clever.  And  you  always  were  a 
very  clever  scholar  too.  We  remember  that  of  old,  don't 
we  ? " 

"Sir!" 

"You  nearly  mastered  the  first  elements  of  science, 
didn't  you  ? " 

"  Sir ! " 

"A  credit  to  your  class  ! " 

*'  Hold  your  tongue,  sir  ! "  bellowed  the  captain  again, 
as  if  his  anger  was  uncontrollable. 

"  Not  I,"  said  the  professor. 

"  Hold  your  tongue !  "  repeated  Servadac 


354  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


"Just  because  the  mass  is  altered  you  think  the  velo- 
city is  altered  ? " 

"  Hold  your  tongue ! "  cried  the  captain,  louder  than 
ever. 

"  What  has  mass  to  do  with  the  orbit  ?  Of  how  many 
comets  do  you  know  the  mass,  and  yet  you  know  their 
movements  ?     Ignorance  !  "  shouted  Rosette. 

"  Insolence  !  "  retorted  Servadac. 

Ben  Zoof,  really  thinking  that  his  master  was  angry, 
made  a  threatening  movement  towards  the  professor. 

"  Touch  me  if  you  dare  !  "  screamed  Rosette,  drawing 
himself  up  to  the  fullest  height  his  diminutive  figure  would 
allow.  "  You  shall  answer  for  your  conduct  before  a  court 
of  justice  !  " 

"  Where  ?     On  Gallia } "  asked  the  captain. 

"  No  ;  on  the  earth." 

"  The  earth  !  Pshaw !  You  know  we  shall  never  get 
there  ;  our  velocity  is  changed." 

"  On  the  earth,"  repeated  the  professor,  with  decision. 

"  Trash  !  "  cried  Ben  Zoof.  "  The  earth  will  be  too 
far  off!" 

"  Not  too  far  off  for  us  to  come  across  her  orbit  at 
42  minutes  and  3 5 '6  seconds  past  two  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  this  coming  ist  of  January." 

"  Thanks,  my  dear  professor — many  thanks.  You 
have  given  me  all  the  information  I  required  ; "  and,  with 
a  low  bow  and  a  gracious  smile,  the  captain  withdrew. 
The  orderly  made  an  equally  polite  bow,  and  followed  his 
master.  The  professor,  completely  nonplussed,  was  left 
alone. 

Thirteen  days,  then — twenty-six  of  the  original 
Gallian  days,  fifty-two  of  the  present — was  all  the  time 
for  preparation  that  now  remained.  Every  preliminary 
arrangement  was  hurried  on  with  the  greatest  earnestness. 

There  was  a  general  eagerness  to  be  quit  of  Gallia, 
Indifferent  to  the  dangers  that  must  necessarily  attend  a 
balloon  ascent  under  such  unparalleled  circumstances,  and 
heedless  of  Lieutenant  Procope's  warning  that  the  slightest 


I 


THE  VENTURE   MADE.  355 


check  in  their  progress  would  result  in  instantaneous  com- 
bustion, they  all  seemed  to  conclude  that  it  must  be  the 
simplest  thing  possible  to  glide  from  one  atmosphere  to 
another,  so  that  they  were  quite  sanguine  as  to  the  suc- 
cessful issue  of  their  enterprise.  Captain  Servadac  made 
a  point  of  showing  himself  quite  enthusiastic  in  his  antici- 
pations, and  to  Ben  Zoof  the  going  up  in  a  balloon  was 
the  supreme  height  of  his  ambition.  The  count  and  the 
lieutenant,  of  colder  and  less  demonstrative  temperament, 
alike  seemed  to  realize  the  possible  perils  of  the  under- 
taking, but  even  they  were  determined  to  put  a  bold  face 
upon  every  difficulty. 

The  sea  had  now  become  navigable,  and  three  voyages 
were  made  to  Gourbi  Island  in  the  steam  launch,  con- 
suming the  last  of  their  little  reserve  of  coal. 

The  first  voyage  had  been  made  by  Servadac  with 
several  of  the  sailors.  They  found  the  gourbi  and  the  ad- 
jacent building  quite  uninjured  by  the  severity  of  the 
winter ;  numbers  of  little  rivulets  intersected  the  pasture- 
land  ;  new  plants  were  springing  up  under  the  influence  of 
the  equatorial  sun,  and  the  luxuriant  foliage  was  tenanted 
by  the  birds  which  had  flown  back  from  the  volcano. 
Summer  had  almost  abruptly  succeeded  to  winter,  and  the 
days,  though  only  three  hours  long,  were  intensely  hot. 

Another  of  the  voyages  to  the  island  had  been  to 
collect  the  dry  grass  and  straw  which  was  necessary  for 
inflating  the  balloon.  Had  the  balloon  been  less  cumber- 
some it  would  have  been  conveyed  to  the  island,  whence  the 
start  would  have  been  effected  ;  but  as  it  was,  it  was  more 
convenient  to  bring  the  combustible  material  to  the  balloon. 

The  last  of  the  coal  having  been  consumed,  the  frag- 
ments of  the  shipwrecked  vessels  had  *o  be  used  day  by 
day  for  fuel.  Hakkabut  began  making  a  great  hubbub 
when  he  found  that  they  were  burning  some  of  the  spars  of 
the  Hansa;  but  he  was  effectually  silenced  by  Ben  Zoof, 
who  told  him  that  if  he  made  any  more  fuss,  he  should  be 
compelled  to  pay  50,000  francs  for  a  balloon-ticket,  or  else 
he  should  be  left  behind. 


SS6  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


By  Christmas  Day  everything  was  in  readiness  for  im- 
mediate departure.  The  festival  was  observed  with  a 
solemnity  still  more  marked  than  the  anniversary  of  the 
preceding  year.  Every  one  looked  forward  to  spending 
New  Year's  Day  in  another  sphere  altogether,  and  Ben 
Zoof  had  already  promised  Pablo  and  Nina  all  sorts  of 
New  Year's  gifts. 

It  may  seem  strange,  but  the  nearer  the  critical  moment 
approached,  the  less  Hector  Servadac  and  Count  Timascheif 
had  to  say  to  each  other  on  the  subject.  Their  mutual 
reserve  became  more  apparent  ;  the  experiences  of  the 
last  two  years  were  fading  from  their  minds  like  a  dream  ; 
and  the  fair  image  that  had  been  the  cause  of  their  original 
rivalry  was  ever  rising,  as  a  vision,  between  them. 

The  captain's  thoughts  began  to  turn  to  his  unfinished 
rondo  ;  in  his  leisure  moments,  rhymes  suitable  and 
unsuitable,  possible  and  impossible,  were  perpetually  jing- 
ling in  his  imagination.  He  laboured  under  the  conviction 
that  he  had  a  work  of  genius  to  complete.  A  poet  he  hao 
left  the  earth,  and  a  poet  he  must  return. 

Count  Timascheff's  desire  to  return  to  the  world  was 
quite  equalled  by  Lieutenant  Procope's.  The  Russian 
sailors'  only  thought  was  to  follow  their  master,  wherever 
he  went.  The  Spaniards,  though  they  would  have  been 
unconcerned  to  know  that  they  were  to  remain  upon 
Gallia,  were  nevertheless  looking  forward  with  some  degree 
of  pleasure  to  revisiting  the  plains  of  Andalusia  ;  and 
Nina  and  Pablo  were  only  too  delighted  at  the  prospect  of 
accompanying  their  kind  protectors  on  any  fresh  excursion 
whatever. 

The  only  malcontent  was  Palmyrin  Rosette.  Day  and 
night  he  persevered  in  his  astronomical  pursuits,  declared 
his  intention  of  never  abandoning  his  comet,  and  swore 
positively  that  nothing  should  induce  him  to  set  foot  in 
the  car  of  the  balloon. 

The  misfortune  that  had  befallen  his  telescope  was 
a  never-ending  theme  of  complaint ;  and  just  now,  when 
Gallia  was  entering  the  narrow  zone  of  shooting-stars,  and 


THE  VENTURE  MADE.  357 

new  discoveries  might  have  been  within  his  reach,  his  loss 
made  him  more  inconsolable  than  ever.  In  sheer  despera- 
tion, he  endeavoured  to  increase  the  intensity  of  his  vision 
by  applying  to  his  eyes  some  belladonna  which  he  found 
in  the  Dobrynas  medicine  chest ;  with  heroic  fortitude  he 
endured  the  tortures  of  the  experiment,  and  gazed  up  into 
the  sky  until  he  was  nearly  blind.  But  all  in  vain  :  not  a 
single  fresh  discovery  rewarded  his  sufferings. 

No  one  was  quite  exempt  from  the  feverish  excitement 
which  prevailed  during  the  last  days  of  December.  Lieu- 
tenant Procope  superintended  his  final  arrangements. 
The  two  low  masts  of  the  schooner  had  been  erected  firmly 
on  the  shore,  and  formed  supports  for  the  montgolfier, 
which  had  been  duly  covered  with  the  netting,  and  was 
ready  at  any  moment  to  be  inflated.  The  car  was  close  at 
hand.  Some  inflated  skins  had  been  attached  to  its  sides, 
so  that  the  balloon  might  float  for  a  time,  in  the  event  of 
its  descending  in  the  sea  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
shore.  If  unfortunately,  it  should  come  down  in  mid- 
ocean,  nothing  but  the  happy  chance  of  some  passing 
vessel  could  save  them  all  from  the  certain  fate  of  being 
drowned. 

The  3rst  came.  Twenty-four  hours  hence  and  the 
balloon,  with  its  large  living  freight,  would  be  high  in  the 
air.  The  atmosphere  was  less  buoyant  than  that  of  the 
earth,  but  no  diiificulty  in  ascending  was  to  be  appre- 
hended. 

Gallia  was  now  within  96,000,000  miles  of  the  sun, 
consequently  not  much  more  than  4,000,000  miles  from 
the  earth ;  and  this  interval  was  being  diminished  at  the 
rate  of  nearly  208,000  miles  an  hour,  the  speed  of  the 
earth  being  about  70,000  miles,  that  of  the  comet  being 
little  less  than  138,000  miles  an  hour. 

It  was  determined  to  make  the  start  at  two  o'clock, 
three-quarter*  of  an  hour,  or,  to  speak  correctly,  42  minutes 
35-6  seconds,  before  the  time  predicted  by  the  professor  as 
the  instant  of  collision.  The  modified  rotation  of  the  comet 
caused  it  to  be  dayhght  at  the  time  ;  it  would  also  neccji 


3S8  '  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

sarily  be  daylight  on  that  side  of  the  earth  upon  which  the 
contact  must  take  place. 

An  hour  previously  the  balloon  was  inflated  with  perfect 
success,  and  the  car  was  securely  attached  to  the  network. 
It  only  awaited  the  stowage  of  the  passengers. 

Isaac  Hakkabut  was  the  first  to  take  his  place  in  the 
car.  But  scarcely  had  he  done  so,  when  Servadac  noticed 
that  his  waist  was  encompassed  by  an  enormous  girdle, 
that  bulged  out  to  a  very  extraordinary  extent 

"What's  all  this,  Hakkabut  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It's  only  my  little  bit  of  money,  your  Excellency ;  my 
modest  little  fortune — a  mere  bagatelle,"  said  the  Jew. 

"  And  what  may  your  little  fortune  weigh  ?  "  inquired 
the  captain. 

"  Only  about  sixty-six  pounds  ! "  said  Isaac. 

"  Sixty-six  pounds  !  "  cried  Servadac.  "  We  haven't 
reckoned  for  this," 

"  Merciful  heavens  !  "  began  the  Jew. 

"Sixty-six  pounds!"  repeated  Servadac,  "We  can 
hardly  carry  ourselves  ;  we  can't  have  any  dead  weight 
here.      Pitch  it  out,  man,  pitch  it  out !  " 

"  God  of  Israel !  "  whined  Hakkabut 

"  Out  with  it,  I  say  !  "  cried  Servadac. 

"  What,  all  my  money,  which  I  have  saved  so  long, 
and  toiled  for  so  hard  ?  " 

"  It  can't  be  helped,"  said  the  captain,  unmoved. 

**  Oh,  your  Excellency !  "  cried  the  Jew. 

"Now,  old  Nicodemus,  listen  to  me,"  interposed  Ben 
Zoof ;  "you  just  get  rid  of  that  pouch  of  yours,  or  we  will 
get  rid  of  you.  Take  your  choice.  Quick,  quick !  or  out 
you  go !  " 

The  avaricious  old  man  was  found  to  value  his  life 
above  his  money  ;  he  made  a  lamentable  outcry  about 
it,  but  he  unfastened  his  girdle  at  last,  and  put  it  out  of 
the  car. 

Very  different  was  the  case  with  Palmyrin  Rosette. 
He  avowed  over  and  over  again  his  intention  of  nevei 
quitting  the  nucleus  of  his  comet.     Why  should  he  truyl 


THE  VENTURE  MADE.  359 


himself  to  a  balloon,  that  would  blaze  up  like  a  piece  of 
paper  ?  Why  should  he  leave  the  comet  ?  Why  should  he 
not  go  once  again  upon  its  surface  into  the  far-off  realms 
of  space  ? 

His  volubility  was  brought  to  a  sudden  check  by  Ser- 
vadac's  bidding  two  of  the  sailors,  without  more  ado,  to 
take  him  in  their  arms  and  put  him  quietly  down  at  the 
bottom  of  the  car. 

To  the  great  regret  of  their  owners,  the  two  horses  and 
Nina's  pet  goat  were  obliged  to  be  left  behind.  The  only 
creature  for  which  there  was  found  a  place  was  the  carrier 
pigeon  that  had  brought  the  professor's  message  to  the 
Hive.  Servadac  thought  it  might  probably  be  of  service  in 
carrying  some  communication  to  the  earth. 

When  every  one,  except  the  captain  and  his  orderly, 
had  taken  their  places,  Servadac  said  : 

"  Get  in,  Ben  Zoof." 

"  After  you,  sir,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  respectfully. 

"  No,  no  !  "  insisted  Servadac  ;  "  the  captain  must  be 
the  last  to  leave  the  ship  !  " 

A  moment's  hesitation  and  the  orderly  clambered  over 
the  side  of  the  car.  Servadac  followed.  The  cords  were 
cut     The  balloon  rose  with  stately  calmness  into  the  air. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

SUSPENSE. 

When  the  balloon  had  reached  an  elevation  of  about  2500 
yards,  Lieutenant  Procope  determined  to  maintain  it  at 
that  level.  A  wire-work  stove,  suspended  below  the  casing, 
and  filled  with  lighted  hay,  served  to  keep  the  air  in  the 
interior  at  a  proper  temperature. 

After  a  while,  the  aeronauts  began  to  survey  everything 
above  them,  around  them,  and  below  them. 

Beneath  their  feet  was  extended  the  basin  of  the 
Gallian  Sea.  An  inconsiderable  speck  to  the  north  marked 
the  site  of  Gourbi  Island.  Ceuta  and  Gibraltar,  which 
might  have  been  expected  in  the  west,  had  utterly  disap- 
peared. On  the  south  rose  the  volcano,  the  extremity  of 
the  promontory  that  jutted  out  from  the  continent  that 
formed  the  framework  of  the  sea  ;  whilst  in  every  direction 
the  strange  soil,  with  its  commixture  of  tellurium  and  gold, 
gleamed  under  the  sun's  rays  with  a  perpetual  iridescence. 

Apparently  rising  with  them  in  their  ascent,  the  horizon 
was  well-defined.  The  sky  above  them  was  perfectly  clear; 
but  away  in  the  north-west,  in  opposition  to  the  sun,  floated 
a  new  sphere,  so  small  that  it  could  not  be  an  asteroid,  but 
like  a  dim  meteor.  It  was  the  fragment  that  the  internal 
convulsion  had  rent  from  the  surface  of  the  comet,  and 
which  was  now  many  thousands  of  leagues  away,  pursuing 
the  new  orbit  into  which  it  had  been  projected.  During 
the  hours  of  daylight  it  was  far  from  distinct,  but  after 
nightfall  it  would  assume  a  definite  lustre. 


SUSPENSE.  361 


The  object,  however,  of  supreme  interest  was  the  great 
expanse  of  the  terrestrial  disc,  which  was  rapidly  drawing 
down  obliquely  towards  them.  It  totally  eclipsed  an 
enormous  portion  of  the  firmament  above,  and  approach- 
ing with  an  ever-increasing  velocity,  was  now  within  half 
its  average  distance  from  the  moon.  So  close  was  it, 
that  the  two  poles  could  not  be  embraced  in  one  focus. 
Irregular  patches  of  greater  or  less  brilliancy  alternated  on 
its  surface,  the  brighter  betokening  the  continents,  the 
more  sombre  indicating  the  oceans  that  absorbed  the  solar 
rays.  Above,  there  were  broad  white  bands,  darkened  on 
the  side  averted  from  the  sun,  exhibiting  a  slow  but  un- 
intermittent  movement ;  these  were  the  vapours  that  per- 
vaded the  terrestrial  atmosphere. 

But  as  the  aeronauts  were  being  hurried  on  at  a  speed 
of  70  miles  a  second,  this  vague  aspect  of  the  earth  soon 
developed  itself  into  definite  outlines.  Mountains  and 
plains  were  no  longer  confused,  the  distinction  between  sea 
and  shore  was  more  plainly  identified,  and  instead  of  being, 
as  it  were,  depicted  on  a  map,  the  surface  of  the  earth 
appeared  as  though  modelled  in  relief. 

Twenty-seven  minutes  past  two,  and  Gallia  is  only 
72,000  miles  from  the  terrestrial  sphere  ;  quicker  and 
quicker  is  the  velocity  ;  ten  minutes  later,  and  they  are 
only  36,000  miles  apart ! 

The  whole  configuration  of  the  earth  is  clear. 
"  Europe  !    Russia !    France !  "  shout  Frocope,  the  count, 
and  Servadac,  almost  in  a  breath. 

And  they  are  not  mistaken.  The  eastern  hemisphere 
lies  before  them  in  the  full  blaze  of  light,  and  there  is  no 
possibility  of  error  in  distinguishing  continent  from  con- 
tinent. 

The  surprise  only  kindled  their  emotion  io  yet  keener 
intensity,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  describe  the  excitement 
with  which  they  gazed  at  the  panorama  that  was  before 
them.  The  crisis  of  peril  was  close  at  hand,  but  imagina- 
tion overleaped  all  consideration  of  danger  ;  and  every- 
thing was  absorbed  in  the  one  idea  that  they  were  again 


362  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


within  reach  of  that  circle  of  humanity  from  which  they 
had  supposed  themselves  severed  for  ever. 

And,  truly,  if  they  could  have  paused  to  study  it,  that 
panorama  of  the  states  of  Europe  which  was  outstretched 
before  their  eyes,  was  conspicuous  for  the  fantastic  resem- 
blances with  which  Nature  on  the  one  hand,  and  inter- 
national relations  on  the  other,  have  associated  them. 
There  was  England,  marching  like  some  stately  dame 
towards  the  east,  trailing  her  ample  skirts  and  coroneted 
with  the  cluster  of  her  little  islets  ;  Sweden  and  Norway, 
with  their  bristling  spine  of  mountains,  seemed  like  a 
splendid  lion  eager  to  spring  down  from  the  bosom  of  the 
ice-bound  north  ;  Russia,  a  gigantic  polar  bear,  stood  with 
its  head  towards  Asia,  its  left  paw  resting  upon  Turkey,  its 
right  upon  Mount  Caucasus ;  Austria  resembled  a  huge 
cat  curled  up  and  sleeping  a  watchful  sleep  ;  Spain,  with 
Portugal  as  a  pennant,  like  an  unfurled  banner,  floated 
from  the  extremity  of  the  continent ;  Turkey,  like  an 
insolent  cock,  appeared  to  clutch  the  shores  of  Asia  with 
the  one  claw,  and  the  land  of  Greece  with  the  other  ;  Italy, 
as  it  were  a  foot  and  leg  encased  in  a  tight-fitting  boot, 
was  juggling  deftly  with  the  islands  of  Sicily,  Sardinia,  and 
Corsica  ;  Prussia,  a  formidable  hatchet  imbedded  in  the 
heart  of  Germany,  its  edge  just  grazing  the  frontiers  of 
France  ;  whilst  France  itself  suggested  a  vigourous  torso 
with  Paris  at  its  breast. 

All  at  once  Ben  Zoof  breaks  the  silence  : 

"  Montmartre  !     I  see  Montmartre  !  " 

And,  smile  at  the  absurdity  as  others  might,  nothing 
could  induce  the  worthy  orderly  to  surrender  his  belief  that 
he  could  actually  make  out  the  features  of  his  beloved 
home. 

The  only  individual  whose  soul  seemed  unstirred  by 
the  approaching  earth  was  Palmyrin  Rosette.  Leaning 
over  the  side  of  the  car,  he  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
abandoned  comet,  now  floating  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
below  him,  bright  in  the  general  irradiation  which  was 
flooding  the  surrounding  space. 


SUSPENSE.  363 

Chronometer  in  hand,  Lieutenant  Procope  stood  mark- 
ing the  minutes  and  seconds  as  they  fled  ;  and  the  stillness 
which  had  once  again  fallen  upon  them  all  was  only  broken 
by  his  order  to  replenish  the  stove,  that  the  montgolfier 
might  retain  its  necessary  level.  Servadac  and  the  count 
continued  to  gaze  upon  the  earth  with  an  eagerness  that 
almost  amounted  to  awe.  The  balloon  was  slightly  in  the 
rear  of  Gallia,  a  circumstance  that  augured  somewhat 
favourably,  because  it  might  be  presumed  that  if  the  comet 
preceded  the  balloon  in  its  contact  with  the  earth,  there 
would  be  a  break  in  the  suddenness  of  transfer  from  one 
atmosphere  to  the  other. 

The  next  question  of  anxiety  was,  where  would  the 
balloon  alight }  If  upon  Urra  firma,  would  it  be  in  a 
place  where  adequate  resources  for  safety  would  be  at 
hand  ?  If  upon  the  ocean,  would  any  passing  vessel  be 
v/ithin  hail  to  rescue  them  from  their  critical  position  } 
Truly,  as  the  count  observed  to  his  comrades,  none  but  a 
Divine  Pilot  could  steer  them  now. 

"  Forty-two  minutes  past !  "  said  the  lieutenant,  and  his 
voice  seemed  to  thrill  through  the  silence  of  expectation. 

There  were  not  20,000  miles  between  the  comet  and 
the  earth  ! 

The  calculated  time  of  impact  was  2  hours,  47  minutes, 
35.6  seconds. 

Five  minutes  more  and  collision  must  ensue ! 
But  was  it  so.?     Just  at  this  moment,  Lieutenant  Pro- 
cope  observed  that   the   comet   deviated   sensibly   in  an 
oblique  course. 

Was  it  possible  that  after  all  collision  would  not 
occur } 

The  deviation,  however,  was  not  great ;  it  did  not 
justify  any  anticipation  that  Gallia  would  merely  graze  the 
earth,  as  it  had  done  before  ;  it  left  it  certain  that  the  two 
bodies  v  ould  inevitably  impinge. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Ben  Zoof,  "  this  time  we  shall  stick 
together." 

Another  thought  occurred.     Was  it  not  only  too  likely 


364  HECTOR  SERVADAC 

that,  in  the  fusion  of  the  two  atmospheres,  the  balloon 
itself,  in  which  they  were  being  conveyed,  would  be  rent 
into  ribbons,  and  every  one  of  its  passengers  hurled  into 
destruction,  so  that  not  a  Gallian  should  survive  to  tell  the 
tale  of  their  strange  peregrinations  ? 

Moments  were  precious  ;  but  Hector  Servadac  resolved 
that  he  would  adopt  a  device  to  secure  that  at  least  some 
record  of  their  excursion  in  solar  distances  should  survive 
themselves. 

Tearing  a  leaf  from  his  note-book,  he  wrote  down  the 
name  of  the  comet,  the  list  of  the  fragments  of  the  earth  it 
had  carried  off,  the  names  of  his  companions,  and  the  date 
of  the  comet's  aphelion  ;  and  having  subscribed  it  with  his 
signature,  turned  to  Nina  and  told  her  he  must  have  the 
carrier-pigeon  which  was  nestling  in  her  bosom. 

The  child's  eyes  filled  with  tears  ;  she  did  not  say  a 
word,  but  imprinting  a  kiss  upon  its  soft  plumage,  she  sur- 
rendered it  at  once,  and  the  message  was  hurriedly  fastened 
to  its  neck.  The  bird  wheeled  round  and  round  in  a  few 
circles  that  widened  in  their  diameter,  and  quickly  sunk  to 
an  altitude  in  the  comet's  atmosphere  much  inferior  to  the 
balloon. 

Some  minutes  more  were  thus  consumed,  and  the  in- 
terval of  distance  was  reduced  to  less  than  8000  miles. 

The  velocity  became  inconceivably  great,  but  the  in- 
creased rate  of  motion  was  in  no  way  perceptible  ;  there 
was  nothing  to  disturb  the  equilibrium  of  the  car  in  which 
they  were  making  their  aerial  adventure. 

"  Forty-six  minutes  !  "  announced  the  lieutenant. 

The  glowing  expanse  of  the  earth's  disc  seemed  like  a 
vast  funnel,  yawning  to  receive  the  comet  and  its  atmo- 
sphere, balloon  and  all,  into  its  open  mouth. 

"  Forty-seven  !  "  cried  Procope, 

There  was  half  a  minute  yet.  A  thrill  ran  through 
every  vein.  A  vibration  quivered  through  the  atmosphere. 
The  montgolfier,  elongated  to  its  utmost  stretch,  was  mani- 
festly being  sucked  into  a  vortex.  Every  passenger  in 
the  quivering  car  involuntarily  clung  spasmodically  to  its 


SUSPENSE.  363 

sides,  and  as  the  two  atmospheres  amalgamated,  clouds 
accumulated  in  heavy  masses,  involving  all  around  in  dense 
obscurity,  while  flashes  of  lurid  flame  threw  a  weird  glim- 
mer on  the  scene. 

In  a  mystery  every  one  found  himself  upon  the  earth 
again.  They  could  not  explain  it,  but  here  they  were  once 
more  upon  terrestrial  soil ;  in  a  swoon  they  had  left  the 
earth,  and  in  a  similar  swoon  they  had  come  back  ! 

Of  the  balloon  not  a  vestige  remained,  and  contrary  to 
previous  computation,  the  comet  had  merely  grazed  the 
earth,  and  was  traversing  the  regions  of  space,  again  far 
away! 


CHAPTER  XX. 

BACK   AGAIN. 

"  In  Algeria,  captain  ?  " 

"Yes,  Ben  Zoof,  in  Algeria;  and  not  far  from  Mosta- 
ganem." 

Such  were  the  first  words  which,  after  their  return  to 
consciousness,  were  exchanged  between  Servadac  and  his 
orderly. 

They  had  resided  so  long  in  the  province  that  they 
could  not  for  a  moment  be  mistaken  as  to  their  where- 
abouts, and  although  they  were  incapable  of  clearing  up 
the  mysteries  that  shrouded  the  miracle,  yet  they  were 
convinced  at  the  first  glance  that  they  had  been  returned 
to  the  earth  at  the  very  identical  spot  where  they  had 
quitted  it. 

In  fact,  they  were  scarcely  more  than  a  mile  from  Mos- 
taganem,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  when  they  had  all 
recovered  from  the  bewilderment  occasioned  by  the  shock, 
they  started  off  in  a  body  and  made  their  way  to  the 
town. 

It  was  a  matter  of  extreme  surprise  to  find  no  symptom 
of  the  least  excitement  anywhere  as  they  went  along.  The 
population  was  perfectly  calm  ;  every  one  was  pursuing 
his  ordinary  avocation  ;  the  cattle  were  browsing  quietly 
upon  the  pastures  that  were  moist  with  the  dew  of  an 
ordinary  January  morning.  It  was  about  eight  o'clock ; 
the  sun  was  rising  in  the  east ;  nothing  could  be  noticed  to 


BACK  AGAIN.  3^7 


indicate  that  any  abnormal  incident  had  either  transpired 
or  been  expected  by  the  inhabitants.  As  to  a  collision 
with  a  comet,  there  was  not  the  faintest  trace  of  any  such 
phenomenon  crossing  men's  minds,  and  awakening,  as  it 
surely  would,  a  panic  little  short  of  the  certified  approach 
of  the  millennium. 

"Nobody  expects  us,"  said  Servadac;  "that  is  very 
certain." 

"  No,  indeed,"  answered  Ben  Zoof,  with  a  sigh  ;  he  was 
manifestly  disappointed  that  his  return  to  Mostaganem 
was  not  welcomed  with  a  triumphal  reception. 

They  reached  the  Mascara  gate.  The  first  persons 
that  Servadac  recognized  were  the  two  friends  that  he  had 
invited  to  be  his  seconds  in  the  duel  two  years  ago,  the 
colonel  of  the  2nd  Fusiliers  and  the  captain  of  the  8th 
Artillery. 

In  return  to  his  somewhat  hesitating  salutation,  the 
colonel  greeted  him  heartily  : 

"  Ah  !  Servadac,  old  fellow !  is  it  you  ?  " 

**  I,  myself,"  said  the  captain. 

"Where  on  earth  have  you  been  to  all  this  time  ?  lt» 
the  name  of  peace,  what  have  you  been  doing  with  your- 
self.?" 

"You  would  never  believe  me,  colonel,"  answered 
Servadac,  "  if  I  were  to  tell  you  ;  so  on  that  point  I  had 
better  hold  my  tongue." 

"  Hang  your  mysteries  !  "  said  the  colonel  ;  "  tell  me, 
where  have  you  been  } " 

"  No,  my  friend,  excuse  me,"  replied  Servadac  ;  "  but 
shake  hands  with  me  in  earnest,  that  I  may  be  sure  I  am 
not  dreaming." 

Hector  Servadac  had  made  up  his  mind,  and  no  amount 
of  persuasion  could  induce  him  to  divulge  his  incredible 
experiences. 

Anxious  to  turn  the  subject,  Servadac  took  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  asking  : 

"  And  what  about  Madame  de  L .?  " 

"  Madame  de  L !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  taking 


368  HECTOR  SERVADAC 


the  words  out  of  his  mouth  ;  "  the  lady  is  married  long 
ago  ;  you  did  not  suppose  that  she  was  going  to  wait  for 
you.     *  Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind,'  you  know." 

"  True,"  replied  Servadac ;  and  turning  to  the  count, 
he  said  ; 

"Do  you  hear  that?  We  shall  not  have  to  fight  our  duel 
after  all." 

"  Most  happy  to  be  excused,"  rejoined  the  count. 

The  rivals  took  each  other  by  the  hand,  and  were  united 
henceforth  in  the  bonds  of  a  sincere  and  confiding  friend- 
ship. 

"  An  immense  relief,"  said  Servadac  to  himself,  "  that 
I  have  no  occasion  to  finish  that  confounded  rondo  !  " 

It  was  agreed  between  the  captain  and  the  count  that 
it  would  be  desirable  in  every  way  to  maintain  the  most 
rigid  silence  upon  the  subject  of  the  inexplicable  pheno- 
mena which  had  come  within  their  experience.  It  was  to 
them  both  a  subject  of  the  greatest  perplexity  to  find  that 
the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  had  undergone  no  change, 
but  they  coincided  in  the  opinion  that  it  was  prudent  to 
keep  their  bewilderment  entirely  to  themselves.  Nothing 
induced  them  to  break  their  reserve. 

The  very  next  day  the  small  community  was  broken  up. 

The  Dobryna's  crew,  with  the  count  and  the  lieutenant, 
started  for  Russia,  and  the  Spaniards,  provided,  by  the 
count's  liberality,  with  a  competency  that  ensured  them 
from  want,  were  despatched  to  their  native  shores.  The 
leave-taking  was  accompanied  by  genuine  tokens  of  regard 
and  goodwill. 

For  Isaac  Hakkabut  alone  there  was  no  feeling  of 
regret.  Doubly  ruined  by  the  loss  of  his  tartan,  and  by 
the  abandonment  of  his  fortune,  he  disappeared  entirely 
from  the  scene.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  no  one  troubled 
himself  to  institute  a  search  after  him,  and,  as  Ben  Zoof 
sententiously  remarked : 

"  Perhaps  old  Jehoram  is  making  money  in  America  by 
exhibiting  himself  as  the  latest  arrival  from  a  comet !  " 

But   however   great   was   the   reserve   which    Captain 


BACK  AGAIN.  369 


Servadac  might  make  on  his  part,  nothing  could  induce 
Professor  Rosette  to  conceal  his  experiences.  In  spite  of 
the  denial  which  astronomer  after  astronomer  gave  to  the 
appearance  of  such  a  comet  as  Gallia  at  all,  and  of  its 
being  refused  admission  to  the  catalogue,  he  published  a 
voluminous  treatise,  not  only  detailing  his  own  adventures, 
but  setting  forth,  with  the  most  elaborate  precision,  all  the 
elements  which  settled  its  period  and  its  orbit.  Discus- 
sions arose  in  scientific  circles  ;  an  overwhelming  majority 
decided  against  the  representations  of  the  professor ;  an 
unimportant  minority  declared  themselves  in  his  favour, 
and  a  pamphlet  obtained  some  degree  of  notice,  ridiculing 
the  whole  debate  under  the  title  of  "  The  History  of  an 
Hypothesis."  In  reply  to  this  impertinent  criticism  of  his 
labours,  Rosette  issued  a  rejoinder  full  with  the  most 
vehement  expressions  of  indignation,  and  reiterating  his 
asseveration  that  a  fragment  of  Gibraltar  was  still  travers- 
ing the  regions  of  space,  carrying  thirteen  Englishmen 
upon  its  surface,  and  concluding  by  saying  that  it  was  the 
great  disappointment  of  his  life  that  he  had  not  been  taken 
with  them. 

Pablo  and  little  Nina  were  adopted,  the  one  by  Serva- 
dac, the  other  by  the  count,  and  under  the  supervisiv-)n  of 
their  guardians,  were  well  educated  and  cared  for.  Some 
years  later.  Colonel,  no  longer  Captain,  Servadac,  his  hair 
slightly  streaked  with  grey,  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
handsome  young  Spaniard  united  in  marriage  to  the 
Italian,  now  grown  into  a  charming  girl,  upon  whom  the 
count  bestowed  an  ample  dowry ;  the  young  people's 
happiness  in  no  way  marred  by  the  fact  that  they  had  not 
been  destined,  as  once  seemed  likely,  to  be  the  Adam  and 
Eve  of  a  new  world. 

The  career  of  the  comet  was  ever  a  mystery  which 
neither  Servadac  nor  his  orderly  could  eliminate  from 
the  regions  of  doubt.  Anyhow,  they  were  firmer  and  more 
confiding  friends  than  ever. 

One  day,  in  the  environs  of  Montmartre,  where  they 
were   secure   from    eavesdroppers,    Ben    Zoof  incidentally 


370  HECTOR  SERVADAC. 

referred  to  the  experiences  in  the  depths  of  Nina's  Hive ; 
but  stopped  short  and  said  : 

"  However,  those  things  never  happened,  sir,  did  they?" 

His  master  could  only  reply  : 

''  Confound  it.  Ben  Zoof  1    What  is  a  man  to  believe  ?" 


vns.  mm 


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